ABSTRACT
Drawing upon data from PhD research, conducting research in Child sexual exploitation (CSE) using police data, this chapter explores some of the methodological challenges, the need for pragmatism in the choice of methods and the practical difficulties encountered in this area of research. It focuses on other potential researchers some of the pitfalls in the police research process. CSE is an issue of government, law enforcement and social welfare concern. The chapter examines the common characteristics between unconnected CSE networks across the UK, to suggest a CSE network typology or highlight network diversity. Sexual violence has long been identified as 'gendered': emanating from a culture of gendered inequality and power relations and typically disproportionately affecting women. Thus, a culture of broad, gendered inequality determines the attitudes and behaviour of men and women which permits violence against women within multiple social 'fields'.
