This article considers practitioner training, knowledge, and perceptions in relation to child sexual exploitation (CSE) of young people in residential care. CSE is a complex phenomenon, and frontline practitioners need and deserve adequate education and training about its nature, characteristics and impacts, in order to identify and manage incidents, act in the best interests of the young people in their care and engage with criminal justice and other social systems. Internationally, little research has been conducted into CSE and professional practice generally, including in this context of heightened risk.
This article reports the results of a quantitative survey of residential care practitioners from Queensland, Australia. Key findings include: the lack of pre-service and in-service training; the desire for further training; priority areas for development of accurate knowledge; and insights into systemic features that facilitate and impede optimal responses to CSE. Results have implications for diverse settings in Australia and elsewhere internationally.
