Hi there, everyone.

My name is Miss Shaw.

Really pleased you're joining me today for this lesson in which we'll be focusing on grooming, exploitation and coercion.

So in this lesson, we're going to focus on grooming, exploitation and coercion, including a definition of what they all mean, the specific laws relating to these terms, and how we can seek support and report concerns in respect to grooming, exploitation and coercion.

Now, this lesson covers very sensitive topics, and therefore we recommend checking with a trusted adult before starting, or doing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

For this lesson, you are going to need an exercise book or some paper.

You're also going to need a pen, and you're going to need your brains for thinking.

Hopefully you've already completed your intro quiz.

So firstly, we're going to look at what grooming, exploitation and coercion actually mean.

Next, we'll look at the UK law relating to these and how to recognise signs of grooming, exploitation and coercion.

Then we'll look at how we can seek support and report the concerns, and then we'll cover key learning points and you'll complete your exit quiz.

So just to recap on some prior learning, I'd like you to pause the video here just to look at this slide.

Now, two of these are keywords that we covered in previous lessons.

I'd like you to choose the correct ones.

So pause now, and then resume when you've completed.

So did you get it right? Well, domestic violence we've covered before, which describes violence or abusive behaviour within the home and abuse, which refers to treating someone cruelly or violently, especially on a regular and repeated basis.

The other two, which were grooming and coercion, we're going to have a look at in more detail throughout the course of this lesson.

So the keywords for this lesson are that grooming means building a connection with the intention of manipulating, abusing, or exploiting them.

Exploitation refers to using or treating someone unfairly for your own advantage and your own gain.

Coercion means persuading someone to do something using force or threats.

And trafficking is where people are tricked, forced or persuaded to leave their homes or moved or transported and then exploited, or forced to work or sold.

So for this first section, we're going to look at definitions of grooming, exploitation and coercion, and the UK law relating to all of these issues.

So what is grooming, and what is the law relating to it? Now I'd like to pause here for a few seconds and just to really consider those two questions, and then resume once you've thought about what grooming might be, and what the law relating to it is.

So how did your answers compare with mine? Well, according to the NSPCC, grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so that they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them.

Those who are groomed can be sexually abused, they can be exploited, or they can be trafficked, and anybody can be a groomer, no matter what their age, gender, or race.

Now, in the eyes of the law, it is an offence for an adult to intentionally procure a child for unlawful sexual activity or behave in a way that grooms a child to procure them for that as well.

And if found guilty, the offender will face up to six months' imprisonment and/or a fine if tried in the Magistrates' Court, or a maximum prison sentence of 10 years if convicted in the Crown Court.

I'd like you to pause here to consider which ones of the following statements about grooming you think is false.

So pause here, have a quick read through the slide, and then resume when you've made your choice.

Did you get it correct? Anybody can be a groomer, no matter their age or gender or race, and groomers might build a relationship with a young person's family and all their friends to make them seem more trustworthy, and it can take place over a short or long period of time, from weeks to years.

But young people can be groomed in a number of ways, not just via online situations, and we're going to have a look at some of these as we progress through the lesson.

So I'd like you to read the summaries from the NSPCC below.

Young people and children who are groomed can be sexually abused, exploited, or trafficked.

Now what these terms mean, in terms of sexual abuse, when a child or young person is sexually abused, they're forced or tricked into engaging in sexual activities.

And there are two types of sexual abuse.

One is contact abuse, and one is non-contact abuse, and sexual abuse can happen in person or online.

With regards to exploitation, child sexual exploitation, which is often referred to a CSC for short, is a type of sexual abuse where a young child or a child, a young person is exploited, and they're given things like gifts or drugs or money, and they may be shown affection or given some sort of grandeur or status in exchange for them performing sexual activities.

And often, young people don't realise that they're being exploited, because they actually feel like they're in a proper relationship, a loving, caring relationship with somebody.

Trafficking is where young people and children are tricked or forced or persuaded to leave their homes and maybe moved around or transported and then exploited, forced to work or to be sold.

Now, obviously, all of these would be really harrowing experiences for any young person that was engaged in these situations.

In this next section, we're going to look at how we can recognise some of the signs of grooming and trafficking.

What I'd like you to do on this slide is to have a look and see which of the following you think are warning signs that a young person might be being groomed.

I'd like you to pause here to just read through, and then resume when you've completed the task.

So did you get them right? It can be really difficult to tell if a child or young person is being groomed, because the signs are not always there and they're often easily hidden.

Older children, especially, might be behaving in normal teenage ways, and actually it's masking the underlying problems, because people just think they'd be normal teenagers.

So for example, they might be being secretive.

They could be upset and easily distressed.

They might be becoming withdrawn.

They might be spending less or more time on their phones or devices and spending more time away from home.

However, if you notice things like them starting to have new things that they can't or won't explain, or they've got an older partner, that's not really appropriate, or they've got into drinking or drug taking, especially underage, and they're engaging in sexualized behaviour or inappropriate language, these are all certainly signs of grooming and should be taken seriously.

Now, quite often, we've said before, children don't know that they are being groomed, because they think that the relationship is a normal, loving, caring relationship, and inability to cope with stress is a potential problem.

It's not going to happen.

You might become more anxious and withdrawn and distressed about things.

So that's certainly a sign to look out for.

Speaking to a trusted adult is the best thing that you can do, just to make sure that even if you have got the smallest worry or concern, it's best to get it checked out, because the longer you leave things for, the worse things can get.

I'd like you to look now at which one of the following statements you think about trafficking is false.

So pause here while you read through the options, and then return when you've chosen which one you think is false.

So I'm hoping you chose option four.

Traffickers often groom children and their families, and engage in the community to gain the young people, young person's trust in the first place, or their family's trust.

They can be large criminal networks, or they can be medium sized or small groups, or they could even be working alone, and children might be forced to marry, to work, to commit crimes, and to be sexually exploited, but none of these trafficked children will be treated with respect or care.

In this next section, we're going to look up potential long term effects of grooming and exploitation, and how we can report and seek support and help.

So no matter whether it happened in person, online or both, grooming, trafficking and exploitation can have both short term and long term effects, which can last a lifetime.

What I'd like you to do is to pause here to make a list of any of the facts that you can think of.

So how does your list compare with mine? Well, some long and short term effects of grooming can include anxiety and depression and ongoing mental health problems. You could develop drug and alcohol problems by a way of coping or dealing with it, so especially if you've been groomed and people have been giving you drugs and alcohol.

You might have relationship problems with family and friends, and often these problems can turn into bigger issues and be potentially having a massive, damaging effect in the long term.

You might have difficulty dealing with stress.

It might end up with you self-harming or having suicidal thoughts.

There's always the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, eating disorders, and of course, feelings of guilt or shame, when actually, as we keep saying, the victim is never at fault.

It is always the fault of the perpetrator.

Now, there are many sources of support available to help with issues relating to grooming and exploitation, and I'd like you to pause here just to make a list of what you can think of, so what sources of support are available? Pause here and then come back when you've got your list together.

So how does your list compare with mine? Well, sources of support and help can include speaking to a trusted adult, so people that you know have got your back and that you can trust, such as your teacher or a family member or your doctor or a school nurse, the police, a youth worker, even.

And if you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 999 straight away.

There are also loads of online agencies and charities that are available for advice and support, that you can access or contact online.

CEOP also make reporting online grooming really easy.

You just visit their website.

And there are also local child protection services that are in place to help and support.

Now, remember, according to the NSPCC, any child or young person is at risk of being groomed, and it's important to remember that both boys and girls can be groomed.

Children who are groomed online could be abused by someone they know.

They could also be abused by someone who commits a one-off act, or a stranger who builds a relationship with them.

Some children are at more risk of grooming, particularly those young people who are vulnerable, so children in care, or with disabilities, or who maybe have been neglected by their family can be targeted by groomers, and groomers will exploit any vulnerability to increase the likelihood that a child or young person will then become dependent on them, and therefore less likely to speak out and to go and try and get help or support.

But the key learning points from this lesson are that it is against the law to groom or exploit anyone, and penalties will apply.

Also, there are many short and long term effects associated with grooming and exploitation, and it's important to be able to recognise the signs of grooming, exploitation and coercion, so that you can get the appropriate help and support, which is vital.

I'd now like you to pause the video to complete your final task, which is the exit quiz, to check your full understanding of the content of this lesson.

Well done on completing the fourth lesson in this unit.

Thank you for joining me today, and I look forward to seeing you again.

Bye for now.