G151(P) Supporting parents of sexually exploited young people: an evidence review

Background Positive relationships with parents are important protective factors in young people’s lives. This review gathers evidence on what is helpful in enabling parents to maintain or rebuild good relationships where a child has been sexually exploited or serious concerns exist. Methods The research draws on evidence from the limited research around parenting and child sexual exploitation, supplementing this with evidence from family support and parenting research more broadly. The search strategy included A search of websites including those of relevant government departments, voluntary organisations and think–tanks. A search of multiple databases, published research, research in progress and grey literature. The parameters of the search strategy were literature with a specific focus on ‘parents’ and ‘child sexual exploitation’ and studies of parenting in adversity. Results A substantial amount of research which can offer valuable transferable lessons was identified. The loudest message was that practitioners need to start with a focus on the strengths of parents and avoid assumptions of deficit or blame. Fundamentally, parents want service providers to work with them as partners in supporting their child and to be seen as part of the solution There are some key areas in which parents will have strengths but may also experience difficulties. The difficulties experienced include: Parents’ social support networks may be compromised by the stigma associated with sexual exploitation and the lack of understanding they may encounter within their wider family/community. Their capacity for coping will be influenced by their own circumstances and their past experiences, and they will have different resilience factors in their lives. Parents will have different experiences of attachment, both from their own childhood and as parents. There is good evidence that supporting parents has a direct effect on outcomes for their children. Conclusions The report highlights the importance of supporting positive relationships which benefit the child, and outlines challenges for supporting parents and mechanisms for being more inclusive. Overall, it gives a sense of parents as a key piece of the puzzle for addressing CSE more holistically.