Experts in child care gathered at Kent on 15 June for a conference to discuss best practice in protecting young people against grooming and radicalisation.
Organised by the University’s Centre for Child Protection (CCP), the event, entitled Protecting our children: vulnerabilities to grooming, brought together academics, social workers and representatives of charities and agencies working in child protection.
Keynote speakers Professor David Shemmings, CCP co-director, and Dr Paul Rigby, of the University of Stirling, presented on, respectively, ‘Grooming and faith-based abuse’ and ‘Child-trafficking – The socio-economics of grooming’.
Conference delegates also saw a demonstration by Professor Jane Reeves, CCP’s other co-director, of the centre’s new interactive simulation, aimed at helping teachers, practitioners and young people identify and counter radicalisation.
The simulation, entitled Maryam and Joe: Behind Closed Doors, is the seventh to be developed by CCP. Previous simulations, including Zak, which help users spot online grooming, and Looking out for Lottie, which assists in identifying signs of child sexual exploitation, formed the subject of workshop discussions.
Delegates also heard from Dr Michelle McCarthy, of the University’s Tizard Centre, on her research on domestic violence against women with learning disabilities.