天美传媒

Emeritus Professor of Young People and Public Policy

Jenny Pearce is Emeritus Professor of Young People and Public Policy, 天美传媒, which was awarded the Queens Anniversary Prize for research on child sexual exploitation influencing safeguarding (2013).

Her research and consultancy focus on safeguarding children and young people, with a particular interest in safeguarding from serious youth violence, including child sexual exploitation. She works as a consultant on safeguarding practices and workforce development in a variety of settings.

Jenny is an Independent Scrutineer of Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships. She is a trustee of The Association of Safeguarding Partners ( and a member of the advisory panel for The Lighthouse , a charity providing multi agency response to children impacted by sexual abuse.

Jenny was founder and director of the International Centre: researching child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking - 2006 to 2017, now the Safer Young Lives Research Centre. She has managed social work and social science curriculum development and teaching and research teams. She is a Visiting Professor at Goldsmiths College, 天美传媒 of London and International Senior Research Fellow with the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, Ireland.

Qualifications

• Certificate of Education - Homerton College, Cambridge, 1975-1978
• Bachelor of Education - Newnham College, Cambridge, 1978-1979
• MA Sociology: with specific reference to qualitative research. (Part-time) - Goldsmiths College, 天美传媒 of London, 1991-1993
• PhD Sociology. Thesis title: 'Being young and keeping safe' (Part-time) - Goldsmiths College, 天美传媒 of London, 1994-2002

Awards

• OBE: for 鈥榳ork on safeguarding vulnerable children鈥� 2013
• Queen鈥檚 Anniversary prize for pioneering applied research in child sexual exploitation influencing new safeguarding policy and practice: awarded to The 天美传媒 (The International Centre: researching child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking), 2013
• Lifetime achievement award 2015: for 鈥榦utstanding contribution鈥� to research on Child sexual exploitation awarded by The NWG network: tackling child sexual exploitation.
• The Vice Chancellor鈥檚 Student Experience Awards: 2015 For Research Impact of the Year: Bedfordshire 天美传媒

Work Experience (Summary)

• 2017 ongoing Freelance research and ethics adviser, safeguarding children consultant and Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships Independent Scrutineer: Safeguarding Children
• 2015-2017 Chair of the Academic Advisory Board; Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (www.iicsa.org.uk) (Part time)
• 2014-2017 Member of Office of the Children鈥檚 Commissioner for England Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse within the family environment
• 2006- 2014 Director of the Institute of Applied Social Research, 天美传媒
• 2006- 2017 Founder and director of The International Centre Researching Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
• 1992 鈥� 2006 Middlesex 天美传媒, Chair of Social Sciences Academic Group; Head of Social Policy Research Centre; Quality Assurance Co-ordinator for Collaborative Programmes; Curriculum Leader 鈥� MA/ Diploma in Social Work 

Publications

Books (selected)

• Pearce (ed) (2019) Child Sexual Exploitation: Why Theory Matters Bristol, Policy Press
• Beckett, H and Pearce, J (eds) (2018) Understanding and responding to Child sexual Exploitation Routledge: London
• Melrose, M and Pearce, J (eds) (2013) Critical Perspectives on child sexual exploitation and related trafficking Palgrave Macmillan
• Pearce, J, Hynes, P and Bovarnick, S (2013) Trafficked Young people: Breaking the wall of Silence: London: Routledge Falmer
• Pearce, J.J. (2009) Young people and sexual exploitation: It isn鈥檛 hidden, you just aren鈥檛 looking London Routledge Falmer.
• Thom, B., Sales, R., and Pearce, J (Eds) (2007) 'Growing up with risk' Policy Press
• Pearce, J.J. with Williams, M and Galvin, C (2002) It's Someone Taking a Part of You: a study of young women and sexual exploitation London: The National Children's Bureau. ISBN 1-900990-83-0

Book Chapters (selected)

• Wroe, L and Pearce, J (2022) 鈥榊oung people negotiating intra and extra-familial harm and safety: social and holistic approaches鈥� in Holmes, D 鈥楻edesigning approaches to safeguarding adolescents. JKP
• Pearce, J and Coy M (2019) 鈥楥hild Sexual Exploitation and Consent to sexual activity: a developmental and context driven approach鈥� in Shaw, M and Bailey, S Family Justice: a developmental perspective, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
• Pearce, J (2017) Consent to sexual activity, child sexual exploitation and abuse: are international guidelines protecting children? In Dolan, P and Frost, N 鈥楾he Handbook of Global Child Welfare鈥� Routledge, London: 153-165
• Pearce, J (2017) 鈥楥ommercial sexual exploitation of children鈥� in Sanders, T (ed) The Oxford Handbook of Sex Offices and Sex Offenders 天美传媒 Press, New York City : 163-183
• Firmin, C and Pearce, J (2016) 鈥楾he Effects on Black Children and Young People living in Gang 鈥揳ffected neighbourhoods鈥� in Bernard, C and Phulwati Harris, P Safeguarding Black Children : Good Practice in Child Protection London: Jessica Kingsley: 76-92
• Pearce, J, J (2014) 鈥楽exual exploitation within a child protection framework鈥� in Blyth, M (ed) Moving on from Munro Improving children's services Policy Press, Bristol: 125-143
• Pearce, J,J (2013) 鈥楥ontextualising Consent鈥� in Melrose, M and Pearce, J (eds) (2013) Critical Perspectives on child sexual exploitation and related trafficking Palgrave Macmillan
• Pearce J,J (2010) 鈥楶reventing sexual abuse through child participation鈥� in The Council of Europe Publication: 鈥楶rotecting children from sexual violence - A comprehensive approach鈥� Council of Europe. Strasbourg ISBN 978-92-871-6972-3
• Pearce, J (2010) 鈥榊oung People, Participation and Empowerment鈥� Introduction to Chapter 2: Participation and improving services in The Eurochild publication 鈥淰aluing children鈥檚 potential鈥� Eurochild, Brussels

Articles in Peer Reviewed Journals (selected)

• Shuker, L., Pearce, J (2019) 鈥楥ould I do something like that? Recruiting and training foster carers for teenagers 鈥渁t risk鈥� of or experiencing child sexual exploitation鈥� Child & Family Social Work. Volume 24, Issue 3: 361鈥�369.
• Brodie, I and Pearce, J (2017) 鈥榁iolence and alternative care: a rapid review of the evidence鈥� in Psychology, Health and Medicine Vol 22, No S1: 245-266
• Firmin, C., Warrington, C., and Pearce, J. (2016) Sexual exploitation and its impact on developing sexualities and sexual relationships: the need for contextual social work interventions, in British Journal of Social Work 46 (8): 2318-2337.doi: 10.1093/bsjw/bcw134
• Beckett, H and Pearce, J (eds) (2015) 鈥楥ommunity safety journal鈥�: special edition on Preventing sexual violence against children: a community response鈥�
• Pearce, J (2013) 鈥榃hat鈥檚 Going On鈥� to safeguard children and young people from child sexual exploitation: A review of Local Safeguarding Children Boards鈥� work to protect children from sexual exploitation?鈥� Child Abuse Review, first published online,21 JUN 2013 DOI: 10.1002/car.2269
• Pearce, J (2011) 鈥�Working with Trafficked Children and Young People: Complexities in Practice鈥� British Journal of Social Work 41(8): 1424-1441
• Pearce, J (2010) 鈥榊oung People, sexual exploitation and trafficking: Contemporary issues in connecting discourses of child abuse and child protection鈥� in Pearce J and Melrose M (joint editors) Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking: Where is the understanding of the child in contemporary practice in the UK? Journal of 鈥榊outh and Policy鈥�: Special Issue on young people and sexual exploitation and trafficking of young people: contemporary debates Number 104
• Pearce J.J. (2007) Joint Editor (with Phoenix, J) of a Special edition on 鈥楾he prostitution strategy: how will it impact on community safety?鈥� 鈥楨ditorial鈥�: pages 3 鈥� 7 The Community Safety Journal. ISSN 1477-5883
• Pearce, J.J. (2006) 鈥榃ho needs to be involved in safeguarding sexually exploited young people?鈥� Child Abuse Review Vol 15: 326-340 ISSN 0952-9136

Links

• Safer Young Lives Research Centre

Contact Details

Luton campus
天美传媒 Square
Luton, LU1 3JU

T: +44 (0)1582 743034
E:[email protected]