Alongside the call for new legislation, Barnardo's has launched a series of new advertisements dramatically portraying the plight of children abused through prostitution. Under the theme of 'Stolen childhood' the ads show young children in abusive situations with graphically aged faces.

A new report, 'Stolen Childhood', supports the campaign, charting the work of a dozen Barnardo's projects throughout the UK with children abused through prostitution.

"Children as young as nine are known to have been abused through prostitution. Over the past three years, Barnardo's projects have worked with 2215 children who have been abused or at risk of such exploitation.
These children have been entrapped, coerced, beaten and abused. Their childhoods have been stolen - yet the law does little or nothing to protect them. It is time this changed," says Barnardo's Principal Policy Officer Tink Palmer.

The report, Stolen Childhood, is based solely on material provided by Barnardo's 12 projects working specifically with children abused through prostitution. It examines what has happened since the charity launched its first piece of work in this area in Bradford eight years ago, how many children have been involved and how the issues that affect children have changed.

Worrying new trends such as the growth in 'crack houses', misuse of the internet, the trafficking of children and the links with domestic violence are highlighted, while harrowing case histories illustrate how children's lives have been torn apart by abuse.

A recent NOP poll gives an interesting insight into public attitudes to abuse through prostitution. Far from being shocked, 80 per cent of those questioned believed that abuse through prostitution was an issue for children in the UK. A further 72 per cent believed children abused in this way were 10 or over (see NOP information).

"Since the public now clearly recognises abuse through prostitution is a problem for the UK's children, Barnardo's believes it is high time for the Government to introduce tough new legislation to protect children. We hope that our work, together with the harrowing newspaper advertisements will force them to treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves," adds Tink Palmer.

To download the Stolen Childhood report (in PDF format) click here.