Transcript NCSC supporting gang affected women and girls

Laura Butterworth
Supporting Gang Affected young women and Girls Laura Butterworth
Gang Intervention projects
Aspire
Safe and Secure
Aims of the workshop
• Understand the roles played by women & girls in
gangs
• Understand the impact of domestic violence,
sexual violence & exploitation experienced by
women & girls who are gang affected
• Understand the Empower delivery model
• Identify strategies for improving identification of
young women and girls who are at risk of sexual
violence.
Spotlight on: young women, gang
association and sexual violence and
exploitation
• ROTA Report – The Female Voice in Violence
• Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual
Exploitation (2009)
• Safeguarding Children and Young People Affected by Gang
Activity and/or Serious Youth Violence (2009)
• The Way Forward: Taking Action to End Violence Against
Women and Girls (The Mayors Action Plan 2010)
• Ending Gang & Youth Violence Report (2011)
• Government Action Plan to tackle Child Sexual Exploitation
(2011)
• The Children’s Commissioners Inquiry into Child Sexual
Exploitation in Gangs and Groups (Current)
Who is at risk? What are the risks?
Any young woman who is in any way associated or linked to any
gang or gang associated individual ... Includes family members,
friends, girlfriends and young women linked to a gang
ROTA 2010 & 2011, OCC 2012
Common Sexual exploitation features
within
gangs
Sex as part of initiation process
•
• Line –ups – forced or coerced oral sex, multiple perpetrators
• Battery chick – a woman who is expected to have sex with many members
of the same gang
• Multiple perpetrator rape
• Sexual activity in return for (perceived) status or protection
• Young women ‘setting-up’ people in other gangs
• Establishing a relationship with, or feigning sexual interest in a rival gang
member, ‘entrapment’
• Sexual assault as a weapon in conflict and retaliation
• Not all young women are viewed as having equal rights to assent to or
decline sexual activity – some seen as having ‘lost their right to withhold
consent’
• Gang associated SE and SV is rarely reported
• Information on sexual violence against young men is less forthcoming.
Sexual violence/exploitation against young men is ‘viewed differently’
OCC CSEGG Interim Report, Nov 2012
Role and function of gang related sexual
exploitation
“Sexual violence and exploitation are significant
weapons used against females associated
with, or involved in, gang violence”
“Rape has become a weapon of choice ... as it is
the only weapon that cannot be detected
during a stop and search”
ROTA Report: Female Voice in Violence (2010) and This is it, this is My Life (2011)
Behavioural and Risk Indicators
•
Older ‘boyfriend’
•
Disclosures made then withdrawn
•
Gang-involved male peers
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Missing from home or care
Unexplained money or gifts and
unexplained mobiles
•
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Absent from school
Physical injuries.
•
Bullying in or out of school
•
Drug or alcohol misuse
•
Change in physical appearance
•
Involvement in offending
•
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Repeat sexually-transmitted
Recruiting others into exploitative
situations
•
Family involvement in sexual
exploitation
•
Poor mental health
•
Self-harm or thoughts of or attempts at
suicide
infections, pregnancy and
terminations
•
Evidence of sexual bullying and/or
vulnerability through the internet
and/or social networking sites
CSEGG Inquiry, OCC Nov 2012
Vulnerability Factors
•
Living in a chaotic or dysfunctional household
•
History of abuse
•
Living in residential care, hostel, B&B or being homeless
•
Gang association either through relatives, peers, intimate relationships or
neighbourhood
•
Lacking friends from the same age group
•
Attending school or are friends with young people who are sexually exploited
•
Not engaging in education/training or employment
•
Unsure about their sexual orientation or unable to disclose sexual orientation to their
families
•
Learning disabilities
•
Young carer
•
Recent bereavement or loss
•
Low self-esteem or self-confidence.
OCC Inquiry CSEGG Interim report 2012
EMPOWER
Professionals Training & Events
Workshops for Parents
Consultation & Advice
Young woman
1:1 Intensive Support
Group Programme for Young Women
Group Programme for Young Men
Home &
family
Health &
wellbeing
Education and
training
Safety
Attitude and
behavior
1:1 Intensive
support Model
Offending
behavior &
gang
involvement
Relationships
Community
engagement &
support
Police
Health/ Teen
pregnancy
Team
Target
Schools
Youth
Offending
Service/
Gangs team
Schools
Improvement
Team
Croydon Gangs Team
(Core team)
Police
Probation
YOS
Gangs
Safer
London
St Giles
IYSS
Case Study
 Jessica, 17.
 Referred by Missing Persons Unit, as a result of co-location of Case
worker
 Frequently missing, substance misuse, suspected to be drug dealing,
NEET, known to associate with gang associated young people.
 Returned to the family home having been missing for 7 Months.
 An empower case worker attended a return interview with police
 Jessica disclosed to the case worker that prior to being missing she had
stolen from a gang member only known by street name ‘Red’
 Checks and information sharing with local gangs unit
 Able to safety plan and safeguard
 Family support, signposting, re-engaging in education,
Case Study
 Kelly, 13
 Referred by Safer Schools Officer.
 Low level concerns, associating with groups of young men after
school.
 Engaged with family with support of school, Case worker meets Kelly
at school.
 Kelly disclosed further information on her gang involvement.
 Activities around gangs, risks and rewards.
 Aspirations goal setting, positive activities.
Case Study
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Kennisha, 17, Currently detained in a Secure Training facility. Referred
to Empower by YOT Court team worker
Known gang association. Violent offending history. Substance misuse
Has reported experiences of sexual violence to social workers
Has begun working with Empower case worker whilst insecure, both
phone and face to face support
Case worker has been present at review meetings and involved in
planning for Kennisha’s release
Kennisha has been supported to complete self assessments of need,
aspirations and safety planning (including exiting plan), prior to her
release.
Case worker will continue to support Kennisha to achieve her action plan
upon release
Advocacy for appropriate housing, education and welfare support upon
release
Barriers to disclosing or reporting sexual
violence and exploitation:
• Attitudes of young men towards young women
• Lack of awareness about support available
• Lack of recognition that they had experienced rape
or sexual violence
• Reluctance amongst participants and victims to
report any such offence
• The little to non-existent peer support for young
women in these scenarios
Female Voice in Violence,
ROTA 2011
Barriers to professionals identifying
Vulnerably Young women
Sexually exploited children and young people are
frequently described by professionals as being;
promiscuous .. sexually available.. asking for it ..
Prostituting .. Suggests children are complicit in, and
responsible for, their own abuse
• Gang interruption interventions are male dominated
and designed for young men
• Men and boys require support to understand the
consequences of their attitudes and behaviours
• Services and agencies working in silos, not multiagency and info sharing
ROTA 2010 & CSEGG, OCC Nov 2012
What are the risks facing gang affected
young women and girls?
How can we improve identification of gang affected
young women and girls at risk of domestic
violence, sexual violence and exploitation?
How do we ensure robust referral pathways
and appropriate intervention and
prevention services for gang affected
young women and girls?
Further Reading on the issue
• Child Sexual Exploitation Inquiry interim report - I
thought I was the only one. The only one in the
world (OCC 2012)
• Female Voice in Violence Final Report: This is it,
this is my Life (ROTA 2011)
• Safeguarding children affected by Gang Activity
and/or serious Youth violence (LSCB 2010)
• Safeguarding Children and Young People from
Sexual Exploitation (DCSF 2010)
• Teenagers at Risk: The Safeguarding needs of
Young People in Gangs and Violent Peer Groups
(NSPCC 2009)