New campaign hopes to prevent exploitation by providing resources for adults to listen to young people at risk of harm
The Trusted Adults campaign was launched by Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones
A new campaign from Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones is shining a spotlight on why it is so vital for adults to listen to children and young people who may be vulnerable to harm.
Trusted Adults hopes to prevent exploitation of children by ensuring that adults know how best to listen to a child who is expressing concerning information.
A report published earlier this month by the Office of National Statistics highlighted that 16 per cent of children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales had spoken with an adult they trust for advice in the last 12 months, over fears about gangs or violence.
Donna Jones said: “This campaign is important because many adults don’t see themselves as the right person to help a child in crisis, when they could be the one to make all the difference.
“Most children who are exploited or harmed knew an adult who could have helped, but that adult didn’t realise it was them. One in five young people living across Hampshire in the Isle of Wight tell us they have no trusted adult in their life at all.
“What we're trying to do, whether you be a school teacher, a sports coach, a member of the local church or community group, we're trying to give people the tools that they need.”
Mrs Jones said: “I've been a trusted adult myself to one of my son's friends who reached out to me for help and support. And at that point, this was about four or five years ago, I wasn't quite sure where to direct him.”
“Often you won't have all of the answers to solve their problem, but actually just listening and then maybe coming back to them with some information and direction to support them is important,” she said.
The campaign includes multiple films featuring video interviews with young people who have confided in adults. Jodie, who features in the film and has been involved in the campaign, said that the key thing a child looks for in an adult to trust is that they are “kind, caring and gentle”.
“I confided in my RE teacher at school,” she said.
“I grew up in the care system, so my childhood looked quite different from that of my friends.
“The way the teacher came across to me was so lovely. I needed that person to come and confide in and they would say ‘I know something is wrong would you like to tell me about it,’” said Jodie.
She stressed that it is important for adults to nurture the trust they have with a young person who is confiding in them.
“You don't want to break that confidentiality or trust, it's probably taken them a lot of time and courage to come and talk to you,” she said.
Chief Inspector Sam Warne of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police said it is important for adults to “follow through” with any information they have been trusted with.
“Keeping promises is going to gain that trust for young people,” he said.
“You can reach out to networks like the police, like adults, adults or juvenile safeguarding services.
“Getting the right care and support early is going to really prevent crime and anti-social behaviour and victimisation in the future.”
For the 12 months ending March 2026 in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight there were more than 3,000 under-18s reported as missing in 8,386 incidents, while there were 17,889 child victims of crime and 380 who were the victim of knife crime.
He said: “It's really important that people have a trusted adult. It's not necessarily a police officer or a professional, but someone that they trust that can be supportive of them and can also really reach out to more professional agencies and find the right support and care for them.
In addition to the films, the campaign also offers an extensive online toolkit for anyone seeking help and advice to do with being a trusted adult. Donna Jones said: “I would encourage everyone to watch these films, to share them and spread the message that safeguarding is a shared duty for public and professionals alike.”
You can find more about the campaign here.