Runaway teens and sex exploitation risk link, says charity

Teenagers who run away are at a higher risk of being sexually exploited, research from a charity has shown.

A report from Barnardo's Cymru and Glyndŵr University said 80% of children deemed at significant risk of sexual exploitation had previously gone missing overnight or for longer.

It said they were more likely to have experienced abuse, to have struggled in school or have mental health issues.

The report was released to mark Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day.

Yvonne Rodgers, director of Barnardo's, said: "Young people become emotionally isolated and vulnerable when their relationships with responsible adults break down.

"Stories of young people who run away paint a bleak picture of the realities facing them and their vulnerability means that they can be targeted by dangerous adults who manipulate and abuse them".