Some key messages from my presentation @ukhomeoffice today about my research on six so-callled “grooming gangs”. 1) Crimes horrific but offenders not very sophisticated or organised (opportunism key);2) No evidence white girls deliberately targeted (& many victims were BME) 1/3
3) Don’t reduce victims to passive objects - they have agency & often make tough decisions amid limited choices ; 4) Victims might be “vulnerable” but doesn’t mean not credible as witnesses; 5) Successful prosecution *is* possible but it’s challenging, complex & costly; 2/3
6) Prosecution important but not enough:by then harm already done & cases dealt only with tip of iceberg; 7) No reliable stats on “grooming gangs” exist - but we need to ask what are we trying to measure & why;8) Simplistic “cultural” (racial) explanations rarely explain much 3/3
And the big overarching one - immediate social context really important: social relations, social dynamics & group activity absolutely key in facilitating, spreading & sustaining abuse - & making responses harder. (Sorry, was 4 not 3 in the end. Long day).
