Safeguarding Children & Young People from Harm Outside of the Home

Children & Young People can experience harm and abuse within their families, as well as outside of their homes, within their communities, peer groups and online. This might include exploitation, serious violence and peer to peer abuse. These harms are child abuse. Children are never responsible for their own abuse. Partners in Lambeth are committed to continuously improve our responses to children & young people at risk out of the harm. Information, resources and links on this page will be updated regularly.

How are young people harmed outside the home?

What is Child Sexual Exploitation?

When a child or young person is sexually exploited they’re given things, like gifts, drugs, money, status and affection, in exchange for performing sexual activities. Children & young people may be tricked into believing they’re in a loving and consensual relationship. This is called grooming. They may trust their abuser and not understand that they’re being abused.

Types of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

CSE can happen online and in person. An abuser might gain the child’s trust and use violence, manipulation and threats to control them. Children and young people have reported that they thought their abuser cared about them. They may have shared sexually explicit images or been recorded engaging in sexual activity – only for the abuser to use this material to blackmail and control them.

What is child criminal exploitation?

Image by Sivani Bandaru What is child criminal exploitation? Criminal exploitation is child abuse where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes.

Criminal exploitation in Lambeth

In Lambeth, our children are most vulnerable to being exploited to commit crimes that involve carrying, transporting or selling illegal drugs.

This can happen in Lambeth and can also include county lines, when children are used to transport drugs to smaller towns outside of London. Children are expected to fulfil orders for drugs placed through a phone line controlled by those exploiting the young person. In these situations, children are often in danger from violence and may spend days in unsafe locations, including ‘cuckooed’, or home invaded, properties.

Cuckooing is a practice where people take over a person’s home and use the property to facilitate exploitation. It takes the name from cuckoos who take over the nests of other birds.

How does serious violence affect young people in Lambeth?

Young people in Lambeth suffer violence far more than most boroughs. The burden of this injustice falls unequally on our Black communities and affects far more Black children and young people than other groups. This violence ruins the lives of young people and their families.

This disproportionality can be seen across London too, where in 2020-21:

Young Black Londoners were 3.1 times more likely than young White Londoners to be a victim of knife crime and young Black males 3.4 times more likely than young White males to be a victim of knife crime.
For homicide, young Black Londoners were 5.2 times more likely than young White Londoners to be a victim and young Black males 6.0 times more likely than young White males to be a victim.

How are we working together to tackle serious violence?

Partners in Lambeth have committed to making Lambeth one of the safest places for children and young people to grow up. Launched in 2020, the Lambeth Made Safer for Young People strategy sets out a 10-year plan to achieve this.

What is HSB?

Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) is a sexual behaviour expressed by children and young people under the age of 18 years old that is developmentally inappropriate, may be

Possible Indicators of HSB

Sexual Behaviour: Behaviours beyond those expected for age (e.g. vaginal or oral intercourse, simulating intercourse with clothes off, sexually explicit proposals, compulsive

HSB Forum - what is it?

Hosted on the last Tuesday every month between 10am-12:30pm, the HSB Forum is facilitated by a mini multi-agency team of senior practitioners.

HSB Forum - make a referral

Download this referral form and email [email protected]

What is peer-on-peer abuse?

Peer-on-peer child abuse can include:

Bullying (including online bullying and bullying because of someone’s race, religion, sexuality, disability or trans status)
Abuse by a child's girlfriend, boyfriend or partner
Physical abuse sexual violence, such as rape and sexual assault sexual harassment
Sharing naked or semi-naked photos or videos without permission
Upskirting
Initiation/hazing type violence and rituals to harass, abuse and humiliate
Emotional abuse
Financial abuse
Coercive control

Spotting the Signs

Download the Operation Encompass Handbook for Schools for information on supporting children experiencing domestic abuse

If your school has not yet signed up to Operation Encompass or if you have any questions, please get in touch and we will pass your query on to our Police and Education partners.

Support and Resources

Make a safeguarding referral for support

Call Lambeth’s Integrated Referral Hub and follow up with a completed Multi-agency Referral Form.

Access Early Help in your area

There are five Community Early Help locality teams in Lambeth. Contact your local Early Help Team.

Helpful safeguarding resources

Visit the NSPCC for guidance on policy, audits and teaching resources.

Levels of Need Guidance

Use the Levels of Need guidance to help you identify and assess safeguarding needs – and access the right help at the right time.

Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools

Use this helpful toolkit to assess and respond to harmful sexual behaviour in school.

Confidential Crime Reporting & Info

Fearless.org provides young people with a safe and confidential space to report crime and seek advice.