- Organised Crime, Organized Crime, Human Trafficking, Trafficking Human Beings, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Sexual Exploitation, and 10 moreCrime Prevention, Police and Policing, Crime Science, Policing Studies, Sex Trafficking, Crime Prevention Policies, Police, Sexual Offenders, Social Network Analysis (SNA), and Sexual Abuseedit
- I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Security and Crime Science at University College London (UCL) and a ... moreI am an Associate Professor in the Department of Security and Crime Science at University College London (UCL) and a visiting research fellow at Leiden University in the Netherlands. My research focuses in particular on human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and labour exploitation. I am interested in rigorous, outcome-oriented research and nuanced, evidence-informed responses to complex issues. I have worked closely with organisations across the public, private and third sectors and contributed to counter-trafficking interventions at national and international levels, including co-chairing the UK’s national working group on the prevention of modern slavery. I have published widely on these topics, including a recent book Offender and Victim Networks in Human Trafficking. Feel free to get in touch with any enquiries, but generally email is better than messaging on here. Thanksedit
Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders – the Nuffield Foundation – and the members of our project advisory group. The Nuffield Foundation is an endowed charitable trust that aims to improve social wellbeing... more
Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders – the Nuffield Foundation – and the members of our project advisory group. The Nuffield Foundation is an endowed charitable trust that aims to improve social wellbeing in the widest sense. It funds research and innovation in education and social policy and also works to build capacity in education, science and social science research. The Nuffield Foundation has funded this project, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation. This research would not have been possible without the generosity of all those who contributed through their participation in interviews, data provision or focus groups – and we particularly thank the young people involved. Research on the sexual exploitation of boys and young men A UK scoping study – summary of findings
Research Interests: Criminology and Law
While certainly not a new phenomenon, the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults in ‘county lines’ drug distribution and sales now attracts considerable attention and concern. In this study, we explored professionals'... more
While certainly not a new phenomenon, the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults in ‘county lines’ drug distribution and sales now attracts considerable attention and concern. In this study, we explored professionals' perspectives on understandings of and responses to this issue in the West Midlands, UK. We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 participants from policing, prosecution, government and the third sector. Participants typically saw county lines-related exploitation as insufficiently understood, especially where individuals are both victimised and commit offences are concerned. They also characterised responses as hampered by factors such as variable use of legislation, inconsistent intelligence sharing and insufficient resources – particularly to support vulnerable people. More robust multiagency collaboration could help address these issues, although it also involves challenges. Our exploratory study focuses on criminal justice responses to county lines-related exploitation in particular, a relatively narrow set of professionals and one specific geographical location, meaning findings must not be overextended. Nevertheless, it provides novel insights into a complex, important and understudied phenomenon. We situate the work against the broader literature on exploitation, drawing parallels with child sexual exploitation and ‘modern slavery’ that could inform further research.
Research Interests:
Response to the ATR debate proposition ‘It is worth undermining the anti-trafficking cause in order to more directly challenge the systems producing everyday abuses within the global economy.’
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Despite considerable concern about how human trafficking offenders may use the Internet to recruit their victims, arrange logistics or advertise services, the Internet-trafficking nexus remains unclear. This study explored the prevalence... more
Despite considerable concern about how human trafficking offenders may use the Internet to recruit their victims, arrange logistics or advertise services, the Internet-trafficking nexus remains unclear. This study explored the prevalence and correlates of a set of commonly-used indicators of labour trafficking in online job advertisements. Taking a case study approach, we focused on a major Lithuanian website aimed at people seeking work abroad. We examined a snapshot of job advertisements (n = 430), assessing both their general characteristics (e.g. industry, destination country) and the presence of trafficking indicators. The vast majority (98.4%) contained at least one indicator, suggesting certain "indicators" may in fact be commonplace characteristics of this labour market. Inferential statistical tests revealed significant but weak relationships between the advertisements’ characteristics and the number and nature of indicators present. While there may be value in sc...
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Sociology, Criminology, Criminal Law, Criminal Justice, Social Work, and 15 moreSocial Sciences, Sexual Abuse, Race and Racism, Political Science, Race and Ethnicity, Critical Criminology, Feminism, Racism, Islamophobia, Criminology (Social Sciences), Racialization, Child Sexual Abuse, Anti racism, Race and Class, and Extreme and Far Right
When it comes to human trafficking, hype often outweighs evidence. All too often, the discourse on trafficking – increasingly absorbed under discussions of so-called ‘modern slavery’ too – is dominated by simplistic treatments of a... more
When it comes to human trafficking, hype often outweighs evidence. All too often, the discourse on trafficking – increasingly absorbed under discussions of so-called ‘modern slavery’ too – is dominated by simplistic treatments of a complex problem, sweeping claims and dubious statistics [1, 2, 3]. Such an approach might help to win attention, investment and support for an anti-trafficking agenda in the short term, but ultimately risks causing credibility problems for the entire field and contributing to ineffective, even harmful, interventions [see, e.g., 2, 4, 5, 6]. From the 1990s onwards, levels of interest and investment in counter-trafficking expanded rapidly [3, 7, 8]. In tandem, the literature on trafficking has proliferated [9, 10]. Yet, actual empirical (data-driven) research remains relatively rare [11, 12, 13, 14]. Of course, non-empirical approaches have value too – for example in challenging how we conceptualise trafficking or highlighting tensions in governments’ or businesses’ commitments to anti-trafficking measures. Nevertheless, empirical research is clearly crucial to advance understanding of the trafficking phenomenon and shape nuanced, evidence-informed policy and practice. Even where empirical research exists, its quality can be highly variable, with many publications (even peer-reviewed ones) found to fall short of even rudimentary scientific standards [13, 15]. Additionally, there is a particular dearth of rigorous, independent evaluations of interventions [7, 13] – despite the many millions of dollars spent thus far on anti-trafficking efforts worldwide [12, 16].
Research Interests:
Combatting trafficking in human beings is a well-established social policy and crime prevention priority for the twenty-first Century. Human trafficking, as defined in international law, can occur for diverse exploitative purposes. Yet,... more
Combatting trafficking in human beings is a well-established social policy and crime prevention priority for the twenty-first Century. Human trafficking, as defined in international law, can occur for diverse exploitative purposes. Yet, different forms of trafficking are routinely conflated in research, policy and interventions. Most of the attention to date has been on sex trafficking of women and girls, leaving male victims and other trafficking types comparatively overlooked. In this study, we disentangle differences between key trafficking types using rare individual-level data from the United Kingdom’s central system for identifying trafficking victims. For a sample of 2630 confirmed victims, we compare those trafficked for sex, domestic servitude and other labour across variables relating to victim demographics, the trafficking process and official responses. Having established significant and substantial differences at bivariate level, we use multinomial logistic regression to identify predictors of trafficking type. Overall, our results underline the complexity and diversity of human trafficking and warn against conflating different types. Within a holistic counter-trafficking framework, a more disaggregated and nuanced approach to analysis and intervention is vital in ensuring more finely-targeted responses. This original study has clear lessons for research, policy and practice.
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Investigating reports of missing children is a major source of demand for the police in the UK. Repeat disappearances are common, can indicate underlying vulnerabilities and have been linked with various forms of exploitation and abuse.... more
Investigating reports of missing children is a major source of demand for the police in the UK. Repeat disappearances are common, can indicate underlying vulnerabilities and have been linked with various forms of exploitation and abuse. Inspired by research on repeat victimisation, this paper examines the prevalence and temporal patterns of repeat missing episodes by children, as well as the characteristics of those involved. Using data on all missing children incidents recorded by one UK police service in 2015 (n = 3352), we find that: (a) 75% of missing incidents involving children were repeats, i.e. attributed to children who had already been reported missing in 2015; (b) a small proportion of repeatedly missing children (n = 59; 4%) accounted for almost a third of all missing children incidents (n = 952, 28%); (c) over half of all first repeat disappearances occurred within four weeks of an initial police recorded missing episode; and (d) children recorded as missing ten times or more over the one year study period were significantly more likely than those recorded missing once to be teenagers, in the care system or to have drug and/or alcohol dependencies. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for future research and the prevention of repeat disappearances by children.
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Law enforcement data are a promising and largely untapped resource for academic research into human trafficking, it is argued in this chapter. Better use of such data can help inform and expand an evidence-based approach to... more
Law enforcement data are a promising and largely untapped resource for academic research into human trafficking, it is argued in this chapter. Better use of such data can help inform and expand an evidence-based approach to counter-trafficking policy and practice. Written by authors from both sides of the academia-law enforcement divide, this chapter engages with key theoretical, practical, legal and ethical considerations around using law enforcement data in research. The discussions should prove useful to researchers, practitioners and policy-makers interested in understanding and tackling human trafficking more effectively. The chapter begins with a critical appraisal of the trafficking literature, highlighting particular gaps, imbalances and weaknesses. The stage is then set to explore the utility and applications of a long-neglected but empirically rich source of data on human trafficking: data generated and/or held by law enforcement agencies. The limitations of law enforcement data are made explicit and their benefits are explored, with reference to relevant trafficking studies and innovative research into other crimes. Key considerations around the process of using law enforcement data are addressed, drawing on the authors’ experiences as researchers and a research-enabler. This section is informed in particular by four recent trafficking studies in which the authors were involved, all of which used sensitive and hard-to-access law enforcement data. The studies in question spanned both small- and large-scale datasets, qualitative, quantitative and mixed method enquiries, internal and international trafficking and key exploitation types: sex trafficking, trafficking for domestic servitude and labour trafficking across diverse legal and illegal sectors.
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Child trafficking is a complex and far-reaching problem that presents numerous challenges for analysis and intervention. In this chapter, we provide a broad, inclusive and nuanced introduction to the topic. We begin with an overview of... more
Child trafficking is a complex and far-reaching problem that presents numerous challenges for analysis and intervention. In this chapter, we provide a broad, inclusive and nuanced introduction to the topic. We begin with an overview of key laws, policies and definitions. We then sketch out some key dimensions to child trafficking, including internal (domestic) versus international trafficking and the broad array of contexts in which trafficked children can be exploited. We critique the overall evidence base on trafficking, highlighting some important shortcomings. We briefly examine the international picture of child trafficking; since individual countries and regions vary in their child trafficking problems and responses, we then focus in on the United Kingdom as a case study. We discuss some specific forms of child trafficking commonly encountered there, considering the associated challenges and complexities: trafficking for child sexual exploitation, drug cultivation, ‘county lines’ criminal exploitation and domestic servitude. We finish by drawing out overall conclusions and implications for future research and responses to child trafficking.
Research Interests:
Millions of pounds are spent every year trying to tackle human trafficking, modern slavery and child sexual exploitation. These are apparently threats perpetrated by ‘criminal masterminds’, spreading at a dizzying rate and approaching... more
Millions of pounds are spent every year trying to tackle human trafficking, modern slavery and child sexual exploitation. These are apparently threats perpetrated by ‘criminal masterminds’, spreading at a dizzying rate and approaching epidemic proportions – or so the story goes. Amid all the bold rhetoric and sweeping claims, there is very little robust research to help understand these problems and inform evidence-based policy and practice.
In this book, readers are invited to delve inside the murky world of human trafficking. It focuses on the internal (domestic) trafficking of children for sexual exploitation. It is based on far-reaching analysis of six of the earliest and largest such investigations in the United Kingdom (UK), including the infamous Derby and Rochdale cases that sparked nationwide concerns about ‘street grooming’ and ‘Asian sex gangs’. Innovative methods, analytical rigour and truly extraordinary data underpin the research: a nuanced and sometimes unsettling exploration of the offender and victim networks, their characteristics, structure, activity and dynamics and the problems they pose for investigation and prosecution. The results paint a picture of a sprawling and dynamic system of grooming and abuse that is deeply embedded in complex webs of social relations and interactions.
This book challenges accepted wisdom, debunks myths and introduces new and fundamentally different ways of thinking about trafficking and its prevention. An accessible and compelling read, this book is for academics, policymakers, practitioners and others interested in serious and organised crime.
In this book, readers are invited to delve inside the murky world of human trafficking. It focuses on the internal (domestic) trafficking of children for sexual exploitation. It is based on far-reaching analysis of six of the earliest and largest such investigations in the United Kingdom (UK), including the infamous Derby and Rochdale cases that sparked nationwide concerns about ‘street grooming’ and ‘Asian sex gangs’. Innovative methods, analytical rigour and truly extraordinary data underpin the research: a nuanced and sometimes unsettling exploration of the offender and victim networks, their characteristics, structure, activity and dynamics and the problems they pose for investigation and prosecution. The results paint a picture of a sprawling and dynamic system of grooming and abuse that is deeply embedded in complex webs of social relations and interactions.
This book challenges accepted wisdom, debunks myths and introduces new and fundamentally different ways of thinking about trafficking and its prevention. An accessible and compelling read, this book is for academics, policymakers, practitioners and others interested in serious and organised crime.
Research Interests:
Objectives Our objectives were (1) to systematically map the contours of the European evidence base on labour trafficking, identifying its key characteristics, coverage, gaps, strengths and weaknesses and (2) to synthesise key scientific... more
Objectives Our objectives were (1) to systematically map the contours of the European evidence base on labour trafficking, identifying its key characteristics, coverage, gaps, strengths and weaknesses and (2) to synthesise key scientific research. Methods We took a two-phase approach: a systematic map followed by a detailed synthesis of key scientific research evidence. Our search strategy included 15 databases , hand searches of additional journals, backwards searches, snowball searches and expert recommendations. We identified and screened 6106 records, mapped 152 and synthesised eight. Results Overall, the literature was limited and fragmented. Reports produced by official agencies dominated; academic authorship and peer-reviewed outputs were comparatively rare. Few publications met minimum scientific standards. Qualitative designs outweighed quantitative ones. Publications typically described trafficking's problem profile and/or discussed interventions; they rarely assessed trafficking's impacts or evaluated interventions. Even among the key scientific research, the quality of evidence was variable and often low. Particular weaknesses included poor methods reporting, unclear or imprecise results and conclusions not properly grounded in the data. The synthesised studies were all exploratory, also sharing other design features. Common themes identified included: poor treatment of victims; diversity of sectors affected and commonalities among victims; inadequacies of current responses; and barriers to interventions.
Research Interests:
Human trafficking and modern slavery are routinely framed as key threats facing society. Despite increased media, policy, and practitioner attention the evidence base remains underdeveloped. The numerous knowledge gaps include a lack of... more
Human trafficking and modern slavery are routinely framed as key threats facing society. Despite increased media, policy, and practitioner attention the evidence base remains underdeveloped. The numerous knowledge gaps include a lack of empirical studies and research into labour trafficking. Since labour trafficking is a complex and varied phenomenon, we chose to explore one subset of it in a systematic, detailed, and empirical fashion. Our focus was exploitation in the casual construction industry in the UK perpetrated by Irish Traveller offending groups. We used hard-to-reach data from three major police investigations, namely operational case files and interviews with senior investigating officers. Taking a qualitative approach, we disentangled behaviours and dynamics across three major stages in the trafficking process: recruitment, control, and exploitation. We identified key challenges associated with investigating this crime. In discussing our study’s implications for research, policy, and practice, we also include officers’ recommendations for future cases.
Research Interests:
Summary and Keywords Crime science (or more accurately crime and security science) has three core tenets: • the application of scientific methods • the study of crime and security problems • the aim of reducing harm. Beyond the... more
Summary and Keywords
Crime science (or more accurately crime and security science) has three core tenets:
• the application of scientific methods
• the study of crime and security problems
• the aim of reducing harm.
Beyond the unifying principles of scientific research (including a clear problem definition, transparency, rigor, and reliability), tools and techniques vary between studies. Rather than following a prescriptive approach, researchers are guided in their selection of data and methods by their research question and context. In this respect, crime scientists take an inclusive view of “evidence.”
“Crime and security” is a broad construct, covering problems associated with diverse illicit goods and acts, offenders, victims/targets, places, technologies, and formal and informal agents of crime control.
Its pragmatic approach distinguishes crime science from “pure research” (i.e., the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake). Contributions to harm reduction might be immediate (e.g., evaluating a novel intervention) or longer term (e.g., building theoretical or empirical knowledge about a particular issue).
Crime science is broad: researchers may contribute to it without self-identifying as crime scientists. Indeed, its early proponents hesitated to draw its parameters, suggesting they should be defined operationally. Under a shared focus on crime, crime science research transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. The prevalence of multi- and interdisciplinary work reflects the inherent complexity of crime and its control. The social, physical, biological, and computer sciences—and their associated technologies—all have contributions to make.
Although the term crime science was first formalized in 2001, its roots go back much further. Within criminology, it particularly overlaps with environmental and experimental criminology. As well as sharing methods with these two areas, crime science’s theoretical underpinning derives from opportunity theories of crime (e.g., routine activity theory, the rational choice perspective, crime pattern theory). Crime is conceptualized accordingly as primarily non-random and as influenced by both individual criminal propensity and environmental factors that facilitate, promote, or provoke, criminal events.
Crime science techniques have been applied to a variety of issues: primarily volume crimes (e.g., burglary), but also more serious and complex crimes (e.g., terrorism and human trafficking). There is now substantial evidence of the effectiveness of targeted interventions in tackling crimes by manipulating their opportunity structures. Claims that such approaches are unethical and merely cause displacement have been discredited. Crime science now faces other, more challenging criticisms. For example, its theoretical underpinnings are arguably too narrow and the boundaries of the field lack clear distinction. Other challenges include expanding interventions into the online world and resolving tensions around evaluation evidence.
Crime science can clearly help explain and address crime problems. Its focus on outcomes rather than outputs speaks to the growing demand that research be impactful. Evidence generated through robust studies has value for policy and designing primary, secondary and tertiary interventions. In times of austerity and increased focus on multi-agency collaboration, there is a clear audience for crime-related research that can inform targeted responses and speaks to a broader agendum than law enforcement alone.
Keywords: science, environmental criminology, situational crime prevention, experimental criminology, prevention, harm reduction, medical model, opportunity theories, multiagency collaboration, interdisciplinary research, multidisciplinary research
Crime science (or more accurately crime and security science) has three core tenets:
• the application of scientific methods
• the study of crime and security problems
• the aim of reducing harm.
Beyond the unifying principles of scientific research (including a clear problem definition, transparency, rigor, and reliability), tools and techniques vary between studies. Rather than following a prescriptive approach, researchers are guided in their selection of data and methods by their research question and context. In this respect, crime scientists take an inclusive view of “evidence.”
“Crime and security” is a broad construct, covering problems associated with diverse illicit goods and acts, offenders, victims/targets, places, technologies, and formal and informal agents of crime control.
Its pragmatic approach distinguishes crime science from “pure research” (i.e., the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake). Contributions to harm reduction might be immediate (e.g., evaluating a novel intervention) or longer term (e.g., building theoretical or empirical knowledge about a particular issue).
Crime science is broad: researchers may contribute to it without self-identifying as crime scientists. Indeed, its early proponents hesitated to draw its parameters, suggesting they should be defined operationally. Under a shared focus on crime, crime science research transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. The prevalence of multi- and interdisciplinary work reflects the inherent complexity of crime and its control. The social, physical, biological, and computer sciences—and their associated technologies—all have contributions to make.
Although the term crime science was first formalized in 2001, its roots go back much further. Within criminology, it particularly overlaps with environmental and experimental criminology. As well as sharing methods with these two areas, crime science’s theoretical underpinning derives from opportunity theories of crime (e.g., routine activity theory, the rational choice perspective, crime pattern theory). Crime is conceptualized accordingly as primarily non-random and as influenced by both individual criminal propensity and environmental factors that facilitate, promote, or provoke, criminal events.
Crime science techniques have been applied to a variety of issues: primarily volume crimes (e.g., burglary), but also more serious and complex crimes (e.g., terrorism and human trafficking). There is now substantial evidence of the effectiveness of targeted interventions in tackling crimes by manipulating their opportunity structures. Claims that such approaches are unethical and merely cause displacement have been discredited. Crime science now faces other, more challenging criticisms. For example, its theoretical underpinnings are arguably too narrow and the boundaries of the field lack clear distinction. Other challenges include expanding interventions into the online world and resolving tensions around evaluation evidence.
Crime science can clearly help explain and address crime problems. Its focus on outcomes rather than outputs speaks to the growing demand that research be impactful. Evidence generated through robust studies has value for policy and designing primary, secondary and tertiary interventions. In times of austerity and increased focus on multi-agency collaboration, there is a clear audience for crime-related research that can inform targeted responses and speaks to a broader agendum than law enforcement alone.
Keywords: science, environmental criminology, situational crime prevention, experimental criminology, prevention, harm reduction, medical model, opportunity theories, multiagency collaboration, interdisciplinary research, multidisciplinary research
Research Interests:
In this case study, we focus on our recent large-scale quantitative analysis of 9,042 children who accessed sexual exploitation support services provided by a major UK charity. In doing so, our aim is to discuss the practicalities of one... more
In this case study, we focus on our recent large-scale quantitative analysis of 9,042 children who accessed sexual exploitation support services provided by a major UK charity. In doing so, our aim is to discuss the practicalities of one important but often neglected source of data for research into child sexual exploitation: data that are routinely generated and collected by non- academic institutions in the course of their everyday business activities. There are considerable practical, logistical, and ethical benefits to using such secondary data. Child sexual exploitation is a highly sensitive and largely hidden issue that is notoriously difficult to research. Consequently, we benefitted greatly from the unobtrusive approach, increased reach, and cost- effectiveness that our research design permitted. Nonetheless, there can also be substantial challenges associated with working with secondary data not generated for research purposes. Among the key barriers we encountered were lack of clarity around key terms and fundamental parameters, missing data, and difficulties finding appropriate baselines against which to interpret our results. We will discuss approaches we took to mitigate these challenges and to ensure high-quality research outputs. Finally, we will reflect on some more general lessons both for the providers and for the users of non-research-oriented secondary data. Their application, we contend, could help ensure more effective research collaborations in future.
Research Interests:
Editorial introducing Crime Science journal's first special edition on child sexual abuse.
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In this study we examine the internal (domestic) sex trafficking of British children using unique data from six major police investigations. This particular type of internal sex trafficking (sometimes known as ‘street grooming’) has been... more
In this study we examine the internal (domestic) sex trafficking of British children using unique data from six major police investigations. This particular type of internal sex trafficking (sometimes known as ‘street grooming’) has been popularly conceptualised as a highly sophisticated, skilled and well-organised phenomenon. This study shows that this characterisation does not withstand empirical scrutiny. Instead, the routine activities and everyday associations of both offenders and victims are shown to play key roles in facilitating, sustaining and spreading the abuse. While the criminal acts associated with internal child sex trafficking can be atrocious, the people, places and processes involved are shown to be far from exceptional. In this respect, the results may be unsettling: they undermine explanations of an emotive crime that rest on reassuring but ultimately naïve errors of attribution. We argue that it is important, however, that preventative strategies are underpinned not by sensationalised narrative and untested assumptions but by sober and robust assessments of appropriate empirical data. The paper contributes to the theoretical and empirical literature on opportunity theories of crime, on human trafficking and on child sexual abuse/exploitation. While the sample size is not especially large (55 offenders and 43 victims), this study helps to expand a sorely limited knowledge base on a topical threat. It is also distinguished by its hard-to-access data and novel analytical approach. The work is likely to interest a broad and international audience of academics, practitioners and policy makers concerned with crime prevention and child protection.
Research Interests:
Child sexual exploitation is increasingly recognized nationally and internationally as a pressing child protection, crime prevention, and public health issue. In the United Kingdom, for example, a recent series of high-profile cases has... more
Child sexual exploitation is increasingly recognized nationally and internationally as a pressing child protection, crime prevention, and public health issue. In the United Kingdom, for example, a recent series of high-profile cases has fueled pressure on policy makers and practitioners to improve responses. Yet, prevailing discourse, research, and interventions around child sexual exploitation have focused overwhelmingly on female victims. This study was designed to help redress fundamental knowledge gaps around boys affected by sexual exploitation. This was achieved through rigorous quantitative analysis of individual-level data for 9,042 users of child sexual exploitation services in the United Kingdom. One third of the sample were boys, and gender was associated with statistically significant differences on many variables. The results of this exploratory study highlight the need for further targeted research and more nuanced and inclusive counter-strategies.
Research Interests:
This publication sets out the aims, methods and parameters for conducting a planned brief systematic review of labour trafficking in Europe. The review itself is currently on-going.
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This report covers the findings from the analysis of 9,042 individual users of child sexual exploitation (CSE) services, of whom one third were male. These children, aged 8 to 17 years inclusive, were supported by services across England,... more
This report covers the findings from the analysis of 9,042 individual users of child sexual exploitation (CSE) services, of whom one third were male. These children, aged 8 to 17 years inclusive, were supported by services across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The data derive primarily from the period 2008-2013 inclusive. This study is an important step towards building the evidence base on the sexual exploitation of boys – a group that has long been overlooked. CSE is a complex social issue and more work is evidently needed to disentangle some of the relationships
observed – for example, to distinguish between risk factors, indicators and correlates alone. This study’s identification of systematic and significant differences between male and female CSE service users indicates that gender is a factor that could usefully be integrated into the design and delivery of research, policy and practice around CSE in the future.
observed – for example, to distinguish between risk factors, indicators and correlates alone. This study’s identification of systematic and significant differences between male and female CSE service users indicates that gender is a factor that could usefully be integrated into the design and delivery of research, policy and practice around CSE in the future.
Research Interests:
This rapid evidence assessment was designed to consolidate the current knowledge on the sexual exploitation of boys and young men. To do so, the peer-reviewed and grey literature (policy documents, practitioner reports, etc) about... more
This rapid evidence assessment was designed to consolidate the current knowledge on the sexual exploitation of boys and young men. To do so, the peer-reviewed and grey literature (policy documents,
practitioner reports, etc) about victims, offenders and abuse processes were reviewed and synthesised.
practitioner reports, etc) about victims, offenders and abuse processes were reviewed and synthesised.
Research Interests:
The purpose of this document is to provide a brief synthesis of key findings from recent exploratory research on the sexual exploitation of young males in the UK. This multi-method study incorporated three complementary strands,... more
The purpose of this document is to provide a brief synthesis of key findings from recent exploratory research on the sexual
exploitation of young males in the UK. This multi-method study incorporated three complementary strands, together addressing
four overarching research objectives:
1. To identify characteristics of known and suspected CSE cases involving male victims and to compare these, where possible, with those of cases involving female victims
2. To explore professionals’ views on perpetration and victimisation processes in cases of male-victim CSE
3. To assess male victims’ perceived support needs and the nature of existing service provision
4. To help inform future research, policy and practice.
While this research represents an important contribution to the limited knowledge base on male-victim CSE, it remains an early exploration of a complex issue. Consequently, the recommendations made
are necessarily tentative. These suggestions relate primarily to:
- ways in which practitioners might better identify and respond to male CSE victims in future
- research priorities and how these might be addressed.
exploitation of young males in the UK. This multi-method study incorporated three complementary strands, together addressing
four overarching research objectives:
1. To identify characteristics of known and suspected CSE cases involving male victims and to compare these, where possible, with those of cases involving female victims
2. To explore professionals’ views on perpetration and victimisation processes in cases of male-victim CSE
3. To assess male victims’ perceived support needs and the nature of existing service provision
4. To help inform future research, policy and practice.
While this research represents an important contribution to the limited knowledge base on male-victim CSE, it remains an early exploration of a complex issue. Consequently, the recommendations made
are necessarily tentative. These suggestions relate primarily to:
- ways in which practitioners might better identify and respond to male CSE victims in future
- research priorities and how these might be addressed.
Research Interests:
Remarkably little has been written about the theory and practice of applied police research, despite growing demand for evidence in crime prevention. Designed to fill this gap, this book offer a valuable new resource. It contains a... more
Remarkably little has been written about the theory and practice of applied police research, despite growing demand for evidence in crime prevention. Designed to fill this gap, this book offer a valuable new resource. It contains a carefully curated selection of contributions from some of the world's leading applied police researchers. Together, the authors have almost 300 years of relevant experience across three continents. The volume contains both practical everyday advice and calls for more fundamental change in how police research is created, consumed and applied. It covers diverse topics, including the art of effective collaborations, the interaction between policing, academia and policy, the interplay between theory and practice and managing ethical dilemmas. This book will interest a broad and international audience from academics and students, to police management, officers and trainees, to policy-makers and research funders
Research Interests:
This book is dedicated to applied research into policing, its characteristics, challenges and opportunities. The focus is unashamedly practical: research that can inform and improve police policy and practice. To date, remarkably little... more
This book is dedicated to applied research into policing, its characteristics, challenges and opportunities. The focus is unashamedly practical: research that can inform and improve police policy and practice. To date, remarkably little has been written about the theory and practice of such applied police research. This addition to the Crime Science series was designed to fill this gap, providing a valuable resource for those interested in academia-police collaborations. It contains a selection of reflective contributions from some of the world’s leading applied police researchers – and from some fresh talent too. Our authors together have almost 300 years of police research experience working in countries such as America, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK. We expect the book’s key messages to have a broad international relevance. Nonetheless, conducting police research in emerging markets and/or autocratic systems may present additional challenges not discussed here.
Research Interests:
Starting out in police and crime research can be daunting for those without a law enforcement background or established academic credentials. Traditional research training focuses primarily on technical aspects to research, leaving soft... more
Starting out in police and crime research can be daunting for those without a law enforcement background or established academic credentials. Traditional research training focuses primarily on technical aspects to research, leaving soft or interpersonal skills largely neglected. Yet, the latter are vital in building relationships, negotiating data access and conducting useful research that addresses end-users’ needs. In this chapter, I reflect on my progression from an unknown entity to a trusted partner in countering child trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation. Drawing on my own reflections and my police collaborators’ feedback, I outline ten practical recommendations for other newcomers to the field. The chapter is expected to interest an international audience of new researchers, their lecturers and supervisors. A dose of serendipity not included.
Research Interests:
"In research, policy and practice, internal trafficking has been long overshadowed by its international counterpart. Despite the introduction of specific legislation against internal sex trafficking, confusion remains in Britain around how... more
"In research, policy and practice, internal trafficking has been long overshadowed by its international counterpart. Despite the introduction of specific legislation against internal sex trafficking, confusion remains in Britain around how this crime is distinguished from other forms of sexual exploitation. In particular, there have been growing tensions around whether British children can be victims. The need for clarity and consistency has been highlighted by a series of high-profile cases involving British minors being moved
within the UK for sexual exploitation. This article brings ongoing definitional debate into the academic arena, exploring the contents and validity of common arguments against accepting Britons as valid victims. It engages with academic studies, government and
third-sector reports, parliamentary debate and legal statute. Additionally, it features arguments raised by practitioners and policy-makers at conferences, training and meetings. It proposes an inclusive and more clearly delineated definition of internal
child sex trafficking. The acceptance and application of a standardised definition would facilitate more effective, transparent and consistent multi-agency interventions and data collection. The article will be of interest to practitioners, policy-makers and
academics. It focuses on the UK but contributes to wider international discourse around internal trafficking."
within the UK for sexual exploitation. This article brings ongoing definitional debate into the academic arena, exploring the contents and validity of common arguments against accepting Britons as valid victims. It engages with academic studies, government and
third-sector reports, parliamentary debate and legal statute. Additionally, it features arguments raised by practitioners and policy-makers at conferences, training and meetings. It proposes an inclusive and more clearly delineated definition of internal
child sex trafficking. The acceptance and application of a standardised definition would facilitate more effective, transparent and consistent multi-agency interventions and data collection. The article will be of interest to practitioners, policy-makers and
academics. It focuses on the UK but contributes to wider international discourse around internal trafficking."
Research Interests:
Extensive social psychological research emphasises the importance of groups in shaping individuals' thoughts and actions. Within the child sexual abuse (CSA) literature criminal organisation has been largely overlooked, with some key... more
Extensive social psychological research emphasises the importance of groups in shaping individuals' thoughts and actions. Within the child sexual abuse (CSA) literature criminal organisation has been largely overlooked, with some key exceptions. This research was a novel collaboration between academia and the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). Starting from the premise that the group is, in itself, a form of social situation affecting abuse, it offers the first systematic situational analysis of CSA groups. In-depth behavioural data from a small sample of convicted CSA group-offenders (n =3) were analysed qualitatively to identify factors and processes underpinning CSA groups' activities and associations: group formation, evolution, identity and resources. The results emphasise CSA groups' variability, fluidity and dynamism. The foundations of a general framework are proposed for researching and assessing CSA groups and designing effective interventions. It is hoped that this work will stimulate discussion and development in this long-neglected area of CSA, helping to build a coherent knowledge-base.
Research Interests:
Following a mainstream British newspaper’s claim to have uncovered a new crime threat of ‘on-street grooming’, extensive and emotive debate continues around the so-called ‘Asian sex gang’ problem in the UK. This article examines the... more
Following a mainstream British newspaper’s claim to have uncovered a new crime threat of ‘on-street grooming’, extensive and emotive debate continues around the so-called ‘Asian sex gang’ problem in the UK. This article examines the construction of a new racial crime threat, assessing the validity of its foundations and exploring its possible causes and consequences. Grooming is shown to be a dubious category, not a distinct offence but an ill-defined subset of child sexual exploitation more generally. The article highlights a fundamental tension in the grooming discourse, showing that claims of a uniquely racial crime threat are ill founded but that Asians have been overrepresented, relative to the general population, among suspected child sexual exploiters identified to date. The implications of the current fixation with grooming and ‘Asian sex gangs’ are examined and shown to further a political agendum and legitimise thinly veiled racism, ultimately doing victims a disservice. The article concludes by calling for a shift from the sweeping, ill-founded generalisations driving dominant discourse to date, towards open and level-headed discussions around child sexual exploitation, including but not limited to, examining relationships between race and offending.
Research Interests:
Links between child sexual exploitation (CSE) and youth offending should be better recognised, according to these preliminary research findings from the UK. Data from a leading CSE service provider and Youth Offending Team were analysed... more
Links between child sexual exploitation (CSE) and youth offending should be better recognised, according to these preliminary research findings from the UK. Data from a leading CSE service provider and Youth Offending Team were analysed for the period 2001–2010 inclusive. Of CSE victims, 40 percent had offending records and recidivism rates were high. Together they committed 1586 offences – 5 percent of all local youth crime. Male and female offending behaviour differed significantly. The types of offences identified were potentially symptomatic of CSE. Referral to CSE services typically post-dated arrest, indicating that children were recognised first as offenders. Challenges in researching the interactions between these two complex issues are discussed. This study has important implications for youth justice policy and practice, both nationally and internationally.
Research Interests:
This article explores the potential of social network analysis as a tool in supporting the investigation of internal child sex trafficking in the UK. In doing so, it uses only data, software, and training already available to UK police.... more
This article explores the potential of social network analysis as a tool in supporting the investigation of internal child sex trafficking in the UK. In doing so, it uses only data, software, and training already available to UK police. Data from two major operations are analysed using in-built centrality metrics, designed to measure a network's overarching structural properties and identify particularly powerful individuals. This work addresses victim networks alongside offender networks. The insights generated by SNA inform ideas for targeted interventions based on the principles of Situational Crime Prevention. These harm-reduction initiatives go beyond traditional enforcement to cover prevention, disruption, prosecution, etc. This article ends by discussing how SNA can be applied and further developed by frontline policing, strategic policing, prosecution, and policy and research.
Research Interests:
This article demonstrates how Crime Scripting is a viable and cost-effective tool in supporting strategic policing without requiring additional data, software, or training. This study shows how a script can deconstruct a complex crime... more
This article demonstrates how Crime Scripting is a viable and cost-effective tool in supporting strategic policing without requiring additional data, software, or training. This study shows how a script can deconstruct a complex crime into its component parts and create a set of outcome-focused recommendations informed by the principles of Situational Crime Prevention. Scripting offers an effective framework for collating and condensing voluminous data in order to establish a clear sequence of actions and decisions crucial to a given crime. This practical introduction to Scripting uses the example of Internal Child Sex Trafficking (ICST), a little-understood crime which has increasingly attracted police and government attention. Key findings from the offender-focused script highlight areas for harm-reduction interventions which go beyond traditional enforcement to include detection, disruption, and awareness. This article concludes by exploring the results’ application to diverse areas including policing, legal strategies, policy and research, and youth work and education.