General Updates and Newsletters | The International Centre Blog

Recent news and newsletters

Category: General

Announcements, newsletter issues and broad updates published by the Centre, together with notes on new publications and opportunities to engage with our research.

Children’s Views on Police Safeguarding

Research update · Young people’s experiences

Findings from the 2015 study in which 45 children and young people across England shared their experiences of police safeguarding practices, carried out on behalf of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).

Statutory Relationships and Sex Education

Policy commentary · 7 March 2017

Commentary welcoming the UK government’s 2017 announcement to introduce statutory relationships and sex education in schools, addressing worrying levels of sexual violence and harassment, teenage relationship abuse and explicit images.

Safeguarding Boys from Exploitation

Practice · Personal reflection

Reflections from a student presenter on the exploitation of boys and young men, and the gaps in professional safeguarding, shared at a BLAST conference with Jenny Pearce.

Collaborative Partnerships

Partnership · Networks and projects

Updates on collaborative work with universities and external organisations, including the university network ‘Children Challenging Sexual Violence’ highlighted in November 2019 and evaluation of projects such as the Alexi Project.

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Newsletter highlights

Spring 2018 IC Newsletter — new books and resources.
Spring 2017 Newsletter — introduces the Young Researchers’ Advisory Panel (YRAP), established in 2016.
Spring 2017 — the Centre circulated its first newsletter to its mailing list.
Updates on publications and opportunities to engage with research.

About

The International Centre at the University of Bedfordshire is committed to increasing understanding of, and improving responses to, child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking in local, national and international contexts.

Read more about the Centre

The International Centre Blog shares research and commentary focused on child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking. Drawing on the work of researchers, practitioners and community partners, the blog explores how these issues are investigated, prevented and addressed across different contexts. Posts highlight participatory methods, including studies that bring children and young people together to discuss their own experiences, and reflect a commitment to evidence-informed practice that respects the perspectives of those most affected by harm.

A number of contributions centre on children’s views of safeguarding systems, particularly the role of police and other statutory agencies. Young people describe what helped them feel safe during investigations, what left them feeling unsupported, and what they would change about how professionals engage with them. Publishing these accounts anonymously and with care, the blog connects lived experience to policy discussion, showing why child-centred approaches are essential to how safeguarding is designed and delivered.

The blog also documents collaborative activity across universities, schools, statutory bodies and non-governmental organisations. Researchers describe partnerships formed to develop curricula, adapt interventions to local circumstances, and build supportive communities for children and families. Advisory panels, participatory research networks and conferences provide spaces for practitioners, academics and community members to share findings, challenge assumptions and strengthen the evidence base used to inform decisions about exploitation and trafficking.

Beyond individual studies, the blog follows the wider lifecycle of research, from methodology and fieldwork through to dissemination and the influence of findings on policy and practice. Contributors reflect on what they learned from listening to children and young people, how projects were shaped by community insight, and why accessible outputs matter for practitioners working with vulnerable children. The result is a space that connects rigorous enquiry with a determination to reduce violence and exploitation through evidence, collaboration and respect for children’s voices.

Contact

Email: helen.beckett@uniofbedscse.com
Main site: beds.ac.uk/ic