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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Aug 22

Two fantastic new opportunities to join the Modern Slavery PEC team!

Policy Impact Lead: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Research Programmes Lead: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

✅Research was led by @ecpatuk.bsky.social w. support of Freshfields LLP.
✅It was commissioned by the UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and @modernslaverypec.bsky.social at @ox.ac.uk, in turn funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
www.modernslaverypec.org/resources/de...

Definitions of child exploitation

We strive for a world where people are protected from modern slavery by effective, evidence-based policies.

www.modernslaverypec.org

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

The report calls on the UK Government to introduce a clear, statutory definition of child exploitation and a national child exploitation strategy.

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

☝️Age is a factor which clouds practice, for example the legal age of sexual consent being a barrier in the identification of child sexual exploitation for 16- and 17-year-olds.
👉85% of the children who had their NRM cases rejected on the definitional grounds were aged 15-17

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

☝️In contrast to the international definition, domestic legal definitions of human trafficking focus on travel, which leads to UK practice often applying narrower thresholds and excluding children exploited online or locally.

A diagram showing a route between two points

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

☝️Statutory definition of CSE and guidance definition of CCE include coercion, deception or manipulation
☝️International definitions of trafficking underline children can never consent to being exploited.
☝️It means children often treated as making ‘choices’

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

Definitions of different forms of child exploitation (criminal, labour, domestic, sexual) entail different elements in separate parts of legislation & statutory guidance, causing confusion:
👉 children not identified
👉investigations & prosecutions affected.

For example...👇

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

The report found that out of 1,396 negative decisions for child referrals into the NRM in 2024, over 61% were rejected on the grounds that the case did not meet the definitional threshold required to proceed.

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 22

NEW RESEARCH!
Inconsistent definitions of child exploitation are undermining the identification and protection of children who were exploited in forms such as sexual, labour and criminal exploitation, or domestic servitude.
👇
www.modernslaverypec.org/resources/de...

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Reposted by Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC)

ECPAT UK @ecpatuk.bsky.social · Jul 15

Sign up for this FREE lunchtime seminar to mark the launch of our research report -

More than Words: how definitions impact on the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 10

NEW EVENT! Definitions of child exploitation.

📅 Tue 22 July, 12.30
👩‍💻 Presentation: Laura Duran, @ecpatuk.bsky.social
👩‍💻 Opening: Eleanor Lyons, UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
👩‍💻 Closing: Patricia Durr, ECPAT UK.

👇
www.modernslaverypec.org/latest/lunch...

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 17

ICYMI: sign up to our event launching new research on definitions of child exploitation.

📅 Tue 22 July, 12.30
👩‍💻Speakers:
👩‍💻 Eleanor Lyons, UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
👩‍💻 Laura Duran & Patricia Durr, @ecpatuk.bsky.social

👇
www.modernslaverypec.org/latest/lunch...

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 15

Our funded research project, led by @rightslab.bsky.social with @sophiehayesfnd.bsky.social, evaluates how SHF's employability programme providing women survivors with employment skills works to prevent re-trafficking amongst survivors of modern slavery.
👇
www.modernslaverypec.org/research-pro...

Readiness to work as prevention of re-trafficking

We strive for a world where people are protected from modern slavery by effective, evidence-based policies.

www.modernslaverypec.org

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 15

Today is World Youth Skills Day, recognising the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment and decent work.

For people who experienced modern slavery, access to decent work is a key factor in rebuilding their lives and be protected from exploitation.

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 14

Hackathon 2025 is a global online innovation competition by the AI against Modern Slavery (AIMS) initiative (from @mila-quebec.bsky.social), which uses large language models (LLMs) to analyse modern slavery statements by major corporations.

Find out more:
fundacionpasoslibres.org/aimshackathon/

AIMS Hackathon – Fundación Pasos Libres

fundacionpasoslibres.org

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 10

NEW EVENT! Definitions of child exploitation.

📅 Tue 22 July, 12.30
👩‍💻 Presentation: Laura Duran, @ecpatuk.bsky.social
👩‍💻 Opening: Eleanor Lyons, UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
👩‍💻 Closing: Patricia Durr, ECPAT UK.

👇
www.modernslaverypec.org/latest/lunch...

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 9

Read more about the research on children with SEND being at a higher risk of exploitation below.

Prof. Anita Franklin, who led this study, was one of the signatories of the letter to the Guardian.
www.modernslaverypec.org/latest/gaps-...

Gaps in policies and services put children with SEND at risk of…

Press release: children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation due to gaps in policies and…

www.modernslaverypec.org

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 9

It’s important to note that - as PEC-funded research led by
@manmetuni.bsky.social points out - children with SEND are exposed to greater risks of grooming & exploitation. The report called for a strategy to prevent children with SEND from being exploited and increased support resources.

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 9

Over 100 campaigners, academics & parents of children with special needs and disabilities (SEND) called on the Government not to scrap the education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which outline a child's needs and the support they need.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...

The right to an education, health and care plan must be retained | Letters

Letter: Jane Asher, Carrie Grant, Chris Packham, Anna Bird, Fazilet Hadi, Sally Phillips, Jon Sparkes and 100 others call on the government not to remove the right to an EHCP from children attending m...

www.theguardian.com

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 4

The team, incl. a worker consultant, spoke on benefits & challenges of survivor engagement, and on strategies to mitigate potential risks.

The project is by @bsmsmedschool.bsky.social, @newcastleuni.bsky.social‬, Impactt Limited &
@unseenuk.bsky.social
👇
www.modernslaverypec.org/research-pro...

Preventing debt bondage in healthcare supply chains

We strive for a world where people are protected from modern slavery by effective, evidence-based policies.

www.modernslaverypec.org

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jul 4

We are delighted to report that the team behind our funded research on preventing debt bondage in the healthcare supply chains spoke at the ILO Regulating Decent Work Conference in Geneva on the ‘Worker Voice and Labour Governance’ panel on including survivors in the research
🧵

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jun 27

. beyondslavery.bsky.social by openDemocracy is marking its 10th anniversary by publishing a series of articles taking stock of the anti-trafficking field.

TBS has been a crucial critical voice to the “modern slavery sector” and this series is a must-read.
👇
www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

Ten years on, have we moved Beyond Trafficking and Slavery?

We started BTS in 2014 to help everyone better understand the root causes of exploitation. Did we succeed?

www.opendemocracy.net

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jun 26

Congratulations to Jane Lasonder, member of our Lived Experience Advisory Panel, who spoke about meaningfully engaging people with lived experience of exploitation in the work and policies addressing modern slavery at the UN Global Forum for Human Trafficking Survivors by UNODC.

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jun 26

LAST CALL for our lunchtime seminar today at 12.30 👇

📣 Identifying Child Criminal Exploitation in Northern Ireland

👩‍💻🧑‍💻 Dr Gillian Kane from Ulster University and Andrew Chisholm from the International Organization for Migration United Kingdom.

Register: www.modernslaverypec.org/latest/lunch...

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jun 25

In her speech, Jane will touch on the need to include people with lived experience of exploitation in policies on modern slavery in a meaningful way, with adding lived experience councils at the heart of organisations as one of the first steps towards it.

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Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) @modernslaverypec.bsky.social · Jun 25

We are proud that Jane Lasonder, member of our Lived Experience Advisory Panel, will speak today at the first-ever United Nations Global Forum for Human Trafficking Survivors 'Voices of Resilience' organised by UNODC (Office on Drugs and Crime).

Read & watch here 👇
www.unodc.org/unodc/en/hum...

First Global Forum for Human Trafficking Survivors – Voices of Resilience

The First Global Forum for Human Trafficking Survivors - Voices of Resilience, on 24-25 June 2025 at the Vienna International Centre, will bring together survivor leaders, policymakers, and civil soci...

www.unodc.org

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