Researching child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking

Youth participation gives young people a meaningful voice in research about child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking. This work recognises that those most affected by harmful practices are not simply subjects of study, but partners with insight, experience and a right to shape the questions being asked. By involving young advisors in the design and delivery of research, the International Centre helps ensure that evidence reflects lived realities and that findings can be understood and used by the communities they concern.

Working with young people across Europe requires attention to differing contexts, languages and experiences of violence. Youth advisors bring local knowledge that can reveal assumptions hidden within wider research frameworks, and they can question how concepts such as exploitation, trafficking or participation are understood in different settings. Their perspective supports more contextual analysis, clearer methodology and recommendations that respond to the realities faced by children and young people rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approaches.

The International Centre at the University of Bedfordshire values participatory research as a way to challenge power imbalances between researchers and the communities they study. Young people are engaged not only as contributors but as collaborators in shaping agendas, activities and outputs. This approach helps build evidence that is more relevant, more accessible and more likely to inform safeguarding practice, policy and supportive responses. It also demonstrates how universities can work in partnership with community members to strengthen respect, safety and child-centred practice.

Engaging young advisors also creates opportunities for learning within the wider research process. Researchers gain deeper awareness of the issues under examination, while young participants develop confidence, critical thinking and experience of academic and policy environments. Such activities can support personal development, peer discussion and informed engagement with difficult topics, provided that safeguarding, consent and ethical considerations are handled carefully. The aim is a relationship in which knowledge is exchanged respectfully rather than extracted from one group for the benefit of another.

Youth advisory work connected with the International Centre highlights the importance of sustained, respectful partnership in addressing child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking. Participation can influence how projects are framed, how findings are shared and how recommendations are prioritised, while also ensuring that young people remain visible as agents of change. The Centre’s broader commitment to collaboration with universities, communities, practitioners and policymakers shows how shared effort and participatory evidence can support safer environments and more responsive approaches to protecting children and young people.