Modern & Historical Research about Child Sexual Abuse

I read this article today and it’s made me so sad and angry.

The book I’m writing is about child trafficking in the late 19th century and NOTHING has changed. The recruitment techniques, debt bondage to keep them working…NOTHING has changed. Why not?

Victim blaming fuelled by class and/or racism or…whatever enables people to think the exploited children are not like their own kids. In 1885 Mr Charles Hopwood MP said in parliament ‘these girls who went wrong from an early age were just as familiar with the result of their actions as those of an older age. [“No!”] It was all very well to cry “No!” but those Members who did so were judging by their own families, who were carefully nurtured and preserved from contamination; but girls who went upon the streets came from a different class. They were not carefully nurtured; they had a familiarity with these things from an early age, and were quite able to take care of themselves.’*

139 years ago and nothing has changed.

Kids are kids. All deserve love and safety.

*Hansard (1885) https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1885/jul/31/committee-progress-30th-july