Scale of the sexual exploitation of boys

The sexual exploitation of boys and young men is a much bigger problem than previously thought according to a landmark study released today. Research carried out by UCL Security and Crime Science (UCL Engineering) and NatCen, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and supported by Barnardo's, underlines the dangers of underestimating the impact of child sexual exploitation on boys and young men. UCL's analysis of records from 9,042 children and young people affected by child sexual exploitation who were supported by Barnardo's since 2008 reveals that 1 in 3 (2,986) were male. This is much higher figure than previous national studies have found. Lead researcher Dr Ella Cockbain (UCL Security and Crime Science), said: "Male victims have largely been overlooked amid growing interest in child sexual exploitation (CSE) in recent years. This research marks a much needed step away from female centric policy and practice - although it raises many questions that remain to be answered. "For us, the inclusion of statistical analysis is particularly exciting as it moves beyond a discussion of individual cases only to the identification of overarching similarities and differences between boys and girls affected by CSE.