When You Are Ready

The When You Are Ready campaign has launched to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation by the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Taskforce. 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is supporting the new national campaign that focuses on encouraging victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation to reach out for support if and when they are ready to.

When You Are Ready, which has been fully informed by those with lived experiences, hopes to make victims and survivors feel seen and heard, to know that they're not alone and encourage them to tell a friend, contact a support organisation, or report it to the police.

The campaign is not only being supported by our Force, but all forces across England and Wales along with relevant partners and charities.

As part of this campaign, a hard hitting three-minute film features the voices of victims and survivors who have experienced this abuse - including contact and online offences. It does not discuss the abuse in details, but these individuals' experience in making the hard decision to disclose their abuse to a loved one, a support organisation and/or the police, and the impact it has had on their life thereafter.

It is hoped that the film resonates with further victims and survivors highlighting that they are not alone, and this has happened to other people, like them, who are living and thriving. 

The campaign also aims to encourage further victims and survivors to reach out for support if that's the right thing to do for them. If someone is ready to take the next step in disclosing their experience, the film signposts to the bespoke campaign website, which includes a range of services and support ogranisations, as well as details on how to report it to the police.