Crimes of child sexual exploitation in England - A socio-legal project promoting effective approaches to investigation and prosecution.

英格兰儿童专员办公室2012年对帮派和团体中儿童性剥削的全国调查报告称，2010年8月至2011年10月的14个月期间，帮派或团体中有2409名儿童性剥削的“确认受害者”，另有16名儿童性剥削受害者。2010年4月至2011年3月期间，500名儿童处于CSE风险中（Berelowitz et al，2012：53）。备受瞩目的调查，例如“寻回者行动”（Derby）、“跨度行动”（罗奇代尔），行动灰雀（牛津），行动圣杯（德福），行动中央（罗瑟勒姆）庇护所行动（纽卡斯尔）自2009年以来已经导致起诉，然而，起诉的数量与向保护机构报告的案件数量不成比例。为该研究员的博士研究进行，探讨涉及CSE犯罪的案件中的自然减员。上诉是指案件在刑事司法系统（CJS）的各个阶段被撤销的过程。该研究员的论文对这些案件中特别是在调查和起诉指控阶段的自然减员情况有了细致入微的理解，并强调了政策和做法中需要批判性反思的领域。该论文强调指出，性剥削和儿童因性剥削而受害的形式得到理解，用于评估儿童风险及其支助需求的工具在构成自然减员的条件方面发挥着重要作用。该论文提请注意的方式，通过民事禁令破坏肇事者已被公认为一个有效的解决方案的问题，消耗和政策和从业者话语的方式，有助于破坏起诉的价值作为一种战略，解决犯罪的CSE，随后导致去优先起诉。它还强调了法律在构成自然减员条件方面的作用，即通过规定限制承认儿童遭受虐待的界限和禁令。该论文探讨了在研究涉及儿童性剥削犯罪的案件中的自然减员过程的文献中存在的一个重大空白。该博士后奖学金旨在传播博士论文的研究成果，从而为CSE相关政策和实践的发展做出重大贡献。该奖学金旨在通过发表研究成果和与关键利益相关者的接触，将通过研究员博士论文开发的知识带给更广泛的受众。首先，它将努力为在儿童和青少年教育领域工作的从业人员，如参与专家小组、儿童和公共保护单位、虐待儿童单位的警官;社会护理工作者;卫生和教育小组;志愿部门内的青年和家庭支助工作者;以及参与支助受害者和证人的人员编写一份方便用户的指南。第二，它将通过相关媒体渠道、在从业人员论坛上的介绍（如受性剥削儿童问题国家工作组主持的论坛）、期刊文章、会议和研讨会，宣传针对服务提供者、决策者和公众的短文。最后，该项目还旨在开展一项研究，以审查受害者在审判后程序中的作用，以及假释委员会和缓刑服务机构在管理被判犯有CSE罪行的人时如何满足受害者的需要。总的来说，这个博士后奖学金的目的是采取通过政策和经验数据的分析，以更广泛的受众，以进一步影响有关CSE的做法开发的学术学习。因此，该项目弥合了调查和起诉CSE犯罪的学术研究与实践之间的巨大差距。

The 2012 national inquiry into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in gangs and groups by the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England reported 2409 'confirmed victims' of child sexual exploitation in either gangs or groups during the 14-month period from August 2010 to October 2011 and further 16,500 children as at risk of CSE between April 2010 and March 2011 (Berelowitz et al, 2012: 53). The high profile investigations, such as Operation Retriever (Derby), Operation Span (Rochdale), Operation Bullfinch (Oxford), Operation Chalice (Telford), Operation Central (Rotherham) Operation Sanctuary (Newcastle) since 2009 have resulted in prosecutions, however the number of prosecutions are not proportionate to the number of cases being reported to safeguarding agencies.This project builds on the learning developed through research carried out for the fellow's PhD exploring attrition in cases involving crimes of CSE. Attrition refers to the process where cases get dropped at various stages of the criminal justice system (CJS). The fellow's thesis developed a nuanced understanding of how attrition occurs in these cases particularly during investigation and prosecution charging stages and highlighted areas within policy and practice that require critical reflection. The thesis highlighted that the forms in which sexual exploitation and children victimised through sexual exploitation are understood, and the tools used for assessing children's risk and their support needs play a significant role in constituting the conditions in which attrition occurs. The thesis drew attention to the ways in which disruption of perpetrators through civil injunctions has come to be recognised as an effective solution to the problem of attrition and the ways in which policy and practitioner discourses have contributed to undermining the value of prosecutions as a strategy for tackling crimes of CSE and subsequently lead to the de-prioritisation of prosecutions. It further highlighted the role of law in constituting the conditions for attrition i.e. through setting the boundaries and prohibitions that limit the recognition of children's experiences as abuse. The thesis addressed a significant gap in literature examining the process of attrition in cases involving crimes of child sexual exploitation. This postdoctoral fellowship aims to disseminate the findings from PhD thesis and thus makes a significant contribution to the development of policy and practice relevant to CSE.This fellowship aims to take the learning developed through fellow's doctoral thesis to a wider audience through publication of research findings and through engaging with key stakeholders. Firstly, it will work to develop a user-friendly guide for practitioners who are working in the area of CSE such as police officers involved in specialist teams, child and public protection units, child abuse units; social care workers; health and education teams; young people and family support workers within the voluntary sector; as well as those involved in supporting victims and witnesses. Secondly, it will publicise shorter pieces targeted at service providers, policy makers and general public through relevant media channels, presentations at practitioners forums (such as those facilitated by the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children), journal articles, conferences and seminars. Finally, this project also aims to develop a research bid for examining the role of victims in the post-trial process as well as the ways in which parole boards and probation services can address the needs of victims in the management of those convicted of CSE crimes. Overall, this postdoctoral fellowship aims to take academic learning developed through analysis of policy and empirical data to a wider audience to further effect practice relating to CSE. This project thus bridges a significant gap between academic research and practice in the investigation and prosecution of crimes of CSE.