By H. Beckett, with I. Brodie, F. Factor, M. Melrose, J. Pearce. J. Pitts, L. Shuker, and C. Warrington

The research into children and young people’s experiences of gang-associated sexual exploitation and sexual violence is exploring:

• The scale and nature of the issue in the specific areas of England under study;

• Pathways into gang-associated sexual exploitation and sexual violence for young people living in these gang-affected neighbourhoods; and

• Potential models of response.

The research is being conducted over the two-year period of the OCC Inquiry (Autumn 2011 to Autumn 2013). It has a narrower focus than the Inquiry, considering only those forms of sexual exploitation and sexual violence occurring in or related to gangs, as defined below.1 As the prevalence and nature of such gangs varies significantly across the country, exposure to these issues also varies significantly for young people living in different communities and locales.

Bedfordshire, UK: University of Bedfordshire, The International Centre for the Study of Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Young People and The Vauxhall Centre for the Study of Crime, 2012. 14p.