Child Exploitation – The Power of Words

20 March 2025

Use of language to describe children impacted by exploitation

We need to think very carefully about the language that we use when raising concerns about a child impacted by exploitation. Language implying that the child or young person is in any way complicit with or responsible for the exploitation that has happened or may happen to them, reinforces the harm they have suffered and must be avoided. Language should reflect the presence of coercion and the lack of control children and young people have in abusive or exploitative situations and must recognise the severity of the impact exploitation has on the child or young person. Making words matter a practice knowledge brief [PDF] 

The NSCP has developed a PowerPoint presentation about the Power and Use of Language [PPT] of which you can access as individual, and or use within your team meetings or during training sessions.