What can we do for all the lost girls?

[Nimbostratus100]

What can we do for missing teens?

I am putting this in "feminism" because I am thinking of girls in particular, and they are more likely to end up in the sex industry ( as opposed to missing boys who tend to end up in drugs industry) - but I am including any boys caught up in the same traps -

I think once girls go missing they are very hard to help ( particularly British girls, whereas girls trafficked into UK have international support organisations, once they are found, which the British girls do not)

So I guess it is about how do we nurture our girls to grow with self protection built in - I would say by the age of 11, girls need to know what makes the m vulnerable, what red flags to look out for where to get immediate help

I suppose therefore, I am mostly thinking about education and open conversations on grooming? public awareness raising?

Widely published help lines ? What help lines actually help? Any experience of Childline? Does it actually help? I might actually start another thread to ask.

And of course "better" support for those who have already fallen away, and got lost. But what support and how? Not from us, obviously as we are not equipped, but what should we be asking our MPs for? more resources to searching for missing children? More charity donations for charities searching for missing children? A safe secure boarding school, like a womans refuge - secret location? providing high quality therapy and education, and future paths forward?

I tried on another thread, but too many posters busy being professionally offended.

Evening bump, anyone who has any ideas how we can actively help or support vulnerable children, before or after they become missing statistics

You never know, we might start something, between us herer

I did once see and excellent poster, aimed at children, summarising the process of grooming,

One suggestion is possible finding or designing something like this, and asking for it to be included in school planners?

Is grooming for sexual abuse or county lines covered in PSHE? I've heard some teachers complain that their Heads deny county lines are a problem in their school.
I love the idea of a safe boarding school; but unfortunately there is no political will to fund initiatives like this. (DV refuges are pressured to offer mixed sex facilities and their funding threatened, single sex ones are less common now. Many towns don't have one at all, despite the fact that local authorities have a statutory duty to provide help. They usually outsource.)

it can be covered, but coverage is sketchy - which is why I was thinking of a poster type info sheet actually in planners, referred to, maybe on the back cover where it is frequently seen, to reinforce the message.

It would have to be extremely well designed though, I have seen one in the past I thought was quite good.

One thing you notice on the Relationships board is that even women who know the signs of an abusive relationship from reading a list have trouble spotting them in the wild. Part of that problem is the way we are socialised to be agreeable, and not criticise or challenge men.

I think it needs more than a poster. It needs lessons that give examples (for example, watching films of people in specific situations) and solutions. Another problem is that even if you give children a point of contact, someone they can tell and ask for immediate help; they can feel like its an immense risk and that telling will have consequences. That issue needs addressing and I don't know what the answer is.

I think you are right, a poster alone wont do it, and lessons alone wont do it, but a poster left in plain sight forever, after effective lessons..

Maybe this is something that can be tackled through drama, and role play. That can equip someone to possibly reach out for help, if they have already role played the situation