School nurses role in tackling child sexual exploitation

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a mainstream child protection issue which can impact upon any child in any community (Barnados 2011). Until recently this abhorrent sexual abuse crime remained hidden, rarely recognised and/or identified by professionals and young people as exploitation (Department of Health (DH) 2014). The impact of CSE is devastating as it causes a catastrophic effect on a child/young person’s psychological, emotional and physical health and wellbeing leaving them “deeply traumatised and scarred for life” (Barnados 2011, p.1).