National Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2025

Share This:

18 March 2025

Today is National Child Exploitation Awareness Day.

The NWG Network (formerly known a the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People) is one of the leading charities working to raise awareness around Child Exploitation and, each year, on the 18th March it asks people to unite against child exploitation and encourages everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse.

According to the NWG, child exploitation is a complex issue and is not always easily categorised into one simple definition. It can include many types of abuse including child sexual abuse, criminal exploitation, including county lines exploitation and child trafficking, modern slavery and peer-on-peer abuse.

In essence, it is a catch-all term for incidences of child abuse where children are being used for personal gain, usually financial or sexual, and often perpetrators will subject children to multiple forms at the same time.

Click here to see a short video from the charity Missing People for a personal account from a young person who has experienced criminal exploitation:

The video contains information about a free, anonymous and confidential service run by the charity for young people who may be worried they are being exploited and abused and offers advice and guidance from specialist advisors online and over the phone.

For more information about this service, click here.

Child exploitation can be difficult to spot for parents, carers and frontline professionals. This is because there is often a crossover between normal teenage behaviour and the signs that a child or young person may be at risk or involved in child exploitation.

The NWG promotes awareness through their ‘Spot the Signs’ campaign. For more information on this click here. You will find lots of information and resources to support you if you are concerned that a child or young person you know may be at risk of exploitation.

Throughout the day today, organisations across the UK are holding events to raise awareness.

If you would like to get involved, the NWG are asking people to:

Raise awareness on social media - show your support by writing a personal pledge on your hand and posting to your social media account(s) with the hashtag #HelpingHands.

Share your knowledge and educate - speak out and encourage others to join in the fight against exploitation.

Inspire others - tell NWG about any events you are running and they will post it on their website and social media, or write a blog and share it with them.

For more information about how to get involved click here.

Remember, this could be happening to children you know or see everyday. Don’t look the other way - give a helping hand; and, while you’re at it, ask your local elected representatives what they are doing to fight Child Exploitation in all its forms.

End

Read other news articles