Summary

A programme aimed to educate professionals about the key aspects of online child sexual exploitation and aimed to provide young people with information about grooming methods. Includes a video about a girl called Lottie who met a boy called Jake and the progression of their relationship.

Type of intervention

Classroom setting, group work, individual work

Target groups, level of prevention and subgroups

• (Potential) Offenders | Primary prevention | Young People (12-17 years), Young Adults (18-20 years), Adults (21+ years) | Male and female | Classroom setting, group work, individual work | English
• Children and Young People (Victims) | Primary prevention | Young People (12-17 years), Young Adults (18-20 years), Adults (21+ years) | Male and female | Classroom setting, group work, individual work | English
• Communities and Families | Primary prevention | Young People (12-17 years), Young Adults (18-20 years), Adults (21+ years) | Male and female | Classroom setting, group work, individual work | English

Target population

Young people aged 14 years and above. Professionals who work with young people aged 14 + years and above and their parents or caregivers.

Delivery organisation

The Centre of Child Protection, University of Kent, UK train facilitators, who then deliver the intervention within their own organisation or agency.

Mode and context of delivery

For young people: it is delivered in secondary school classes or on a one on one basis in any agency setting (for example in a sexual health clinic).
For professionals: it can be delivered in any appropriate setting.

Level/nature of staff expertise required

In order to deliver the intervention, facilitators must be trained by the Centre for Child Protection. Facilitators may be teachers, parents, social workers, health workers or anyone who works with young people.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)

The programme consists of two versions of the simulation ‘Looking out for Lottie’: one for professionals to train with and one for direct use with young people. A comprehensive training pack containing extra resources and worksheets for both professionals and young people is also included.

Description of intervention

‘Looking out for Lottie’ offers health, social care and education professionals the opportunity to train on key aspects of online child sexual exploitation, including insight into the process and implications for the victim and groomer. It is an interactive and immersive simulation, for use by both professionals and young people, on how young people are groomed for sexual exploitation. It follows the story on social media of a school girl named Lottie and how she becomes involved with Jake, a seemingly plausible young man. By following the simulation, professionals are able to gain insight into the process and the behaviour of the groomer and the victim. Two versions are available.

For professionals, to learn how to spot and highlight grooming behaviour and, vitally, how to manage behaviours resulting from child sexual exploitation:

• To educate health, social care and educational professionals about CSE
• To identify and discuss factors, indicators and types of sexual grooming and exploitation
• To examine both sides of the situation (the victim’s and the groomer’s)
• To raise awareness of CSE amongst professionals
• To educate about the short and long term consequences of CSE and the medical, social, and emotional implications
• To develop skills of professionals to assess and work with young people at risk of CSE
• To evaluate how young people react to being groomed
• To develop an understanding of the importance of the impact of online grooming and CSE on young people
• To analyse the link between online and face to face grooming behaviour

For direct work with young people, to learn about grooming methods to look out for, demonstrated in a real-life scenario, to make decisions and understand the emotions and actions of the characters:

• To increase awareness of the grooming process
• To increase understanding of how to stay safe both on and offline
• To identify and discuss factors/indicators of online sexual grooming and exploitation
• To encourage self-reflection on their own behaviour
• To help know where and to whom they should report any concerns

Looking out for Lottie is a web delivered simulation which is split into eight scenes:

• Scene 1: ‘Before meeting Jake’ - this is Lottie's day to day life before she meets Jake
• Scene 2: ‘After the under 18s night’ - Lottie went to an under18s night in a club last night, and she talks about it here
• Scene 3: ‘Meeting Jake’ - Lottie meets up with Jake for the first time after the Under 18s club night
• Scene 4: ‘Jake and Lottie are in a relationship’ - Jake and Lottie's relationship progresses
• Scene 5: ‘Valentine's day’ - it's Valentine's day and Lottie is excited
• Scene 6: ‘Jake meets Lottie's mum’ - Jake and Lottie's relationship is getting serious
• Scene 7: ‘Jake meets Lottie's friends’ - things are progressing fast. Is Lottie happy?
• Scene 8: ‘Jake's real profile’- find out who Jake really is

In addition to the simulation itself, there is a downloadable training pack with extra resources and worksheets.

Evaluations

‘Looking out for Lottie’ has not yet been officially evaluated, although the Centre for Child Protection has plans to do this in 2015. However, positive feedback has been received from health professionals and child protection workers.

References

No references available.

Contact details

https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/ccp/game/Lottieindex.html

email ccp@kent.ac.uk.

INFORMATION CORRECT AT JULY 2021

RATING: Pioneering