The Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Care of the Irish State—Professionals' Perspectives

ABSTRACT Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders who have diverse experience of working with children in Ireland, this article highlights that children in residential care are being targeted for sexual exploitation in an organised manner, by networks or gangs of predatory men. The study found that current staffing challenges in the care environment are making it difficult for children to develop trusting relationships to feel sufficiently comfortable to disclose their experiences of sexual exploitation and seek help. It also found that some professionals saw children who were sexually exploited in residential care as ‘problematic’ or even at times inadvertently blamed them for their own exploitation. It further found that the risk of sexual exploitation for children is increased when care staff lack the skills and language to identify, speak about and respond to reports of sexual exploitation. Although there is some evidence of children in families being sexually exploited, a particular context for targeting children for sexual exploitation, that of being in state care, is clearly highlighted in this paper and aligns with evidence from other jurisdictions. The findings suggest a need for a national policy on the protection of children in care from sexual exploitation that would not only prioritise the issue but would trigger increased training and education of social carers, social workers and the Irish police force on the complexities underpinning sexual exploitation so that they are better equipped to protect children in care.