Child centred policing: supporting trauma informed front line police practices with girls who have lived experiences of child sexual exploitation in the United Kingdom

Introduction Child sexual exploitation (CSE) continues to present significant challenges for policing, with longstanding concerns about inconsistent recognition of risk, victim-blaming narratives, and uneven application of trauma-informed approaches. Methods This study reports on the co-design, delivery, and evaluation of a pilot simulation-based training tool developed by the University of Kent’s Centre for Child Protection in partnership with Kent Police. Guided by a participatory action research framework, a mixed-methods evaluation was conducted, including pre-, mid-, and post-training questionnaires, live polling, and independent observation. Results Quantitative findings demonstrated improvements in officers’ self-reported confidence, knowledge, and practice skills. Qualitative feedback indicated reductions in victim-blaming language and greater use of trauma-informed framing. Observations reinforced these shifts, highlighting enhanced officer engagement with contextual safeguarding and recognition of trauma responses. Discussion Although limited to a single police force and reliant on self-reported data, the pilot suggests that simulation-based learning is a promising approach to embedding trauma-informed practice in frontline policing. The findings underline the value of experiential training for disrupting entrenched biases and supporting culture change in sensitive areas of practice.