The recent Three Girls drama on BBC1 gave a powerful and troubling focus on the Rochdale child sex abuse scandal. The series is well worth a watch; check the BBC I player http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/b08rgd5n
The portrayal shows the lack of respect shown to the teenage girls who were groomed, the courage of a health worker and the struggles faced by parents in showing support.
As a Trustee of Parents against Child Sexual Exploitation ( www.paceuk.info ) I have some knowledge and a perspective on all this. I recognise that ‘Three Girls’ tells an unfinished story powerfully and in compelling terms.
I think that we can draw out some lessons:
We need to respect those with a lived experience and not simply box what we see to fit our predetermined positions. This means looking carefully at what young girls (and sometimes boys) are going through, what they are saying and why. This means hearing what parents and carers know, recognise their knowledge. It means encouraging professionals to pause and follow through on what they observe. I suggest that girls (boys) and parents are not simply victims caught up in events but powerful and courageous advocates. Front line workers are in position to cause matters to be taken seriously. Parents and children need respect and workers need training and support.
On the other hand, we need to practice responsibility. We do everyone a disservice if we just view these as personal stories that just happened. People and institutions are responsible in different ways. Most obviously abusers need to be held responsible. But statutory bodies need to take responsibility to ensure that whoever faces similar challenges, wherever they live, shall be respected and taken seriously. We also need communities and institutions to take responsibility not to foster a climate where difficult issues are shunned and positive messages not spoken.
Thankfully child sexual exploitation is now widely recognised. What we need to ensure is that children receive safety and respect, that parents are not excluded by agencies from processes to tackle CSE issues. If this is not the case children will remain vulnerable and parents will be force outside the system and away from the bodies set up to deal with such matters. For agencies working in the field (social services, police, schools and the legal bodies) there should be a required level of training and awareness support by strong protocols for action.
I continue to listen and speak with people with various experiences on matters of child sexual abuse. We have moved from denying the issue, to achieving prosecutions and now to producing dramas. But we are kidding ourselves if we think we have resolved how we tackle child sexual exploitation or that we have settled and consistent practice. I am grateful for courageous young people and parents and appreciative of good practice but provision is patchy across the country.
An award for Sara Rowbotham and appreciation of the ‘Three Girls’ drama is well deserved but neither will change a great deal if we don’t offer more respect and take more responsibility.
Graham Brownlee, May 2017