'I was forced into sex with men'

Barnardo's said the abuse is planned and does not happen overnight

"I started going missing when I was 11 and I met this boy - he was 17. He forced me to do things I didn't want to do. I drank to block it out."

Aisha* was known to social work services all of her life and started having a drink problem when she was just 11-years-old.

Growing up against a chaotic background where her mother was an alcoholic and in violent relationships, she used alcohol to block out the world.

Before long Aisha began running away from home - at the time not realising the danger.

"No one really cared about me; I don't think they noticed if I didn't come home," she said.

"I didn't like it when mum's boyfriend was round, I suppose I got scared.

"So I started going missing for a few nights - I was 11.

He'd pick me up and take me to loads of different places to meet his friends. At first it was alright Aisha

"Then I met this boy, he was 17 and really paid me a lot of attention.

"He let me stay in his house and I thought he loved me. Then he forced me to have sex, I didn't want this to happen, I said no."

Aisha's drink problems accelerated and her boyfriend introduced her to drugs.

Before long she had stopped attending school and was self-harming by cutting herself.

Eventually Aisha was placed in secure accommodation - but it was only a temporary measure.

The "missing" episodes continued and when Aisha was 14 a friend introduced her to yet another older man, he was 35-years-old and quickly realised the youngster's vulnerability.

"He'd pick me up and take me to loads of different places to meet his friends," she said.

"Sometimes we'd go with other girls. At first it was all right."

Demand sex

Although she didn't know it, Aisha was being groomed.

After three months her new boyfriend started getting violent, he'd punch and kick her.

Then he'd demand sex and didn't appear to care that he hurt her. Aisha couldn't make him stop.

One day she was taken to one of the "regular flats" and he told her to have sex with his friends.

Isolated and frightened Aisha said "no way", but when her boyfriend threatened to beat her, she was forced to do as she'd been told.

This was how the pattern of sexual exploitation started. It happened more and more, different towns, different flats.

Often she was not alone; other girls were being used too.

'Life goals'

But Aisha's behaviour and constant missing episodes had raised concerns with social services and at this point Barnardo's became involved.

Within three months her missing episodes had dropped from several episodes every week, to one or two per month.

Gradually she came to realise that she was not to blame for her own abuse, there had been a complex process of grooming and sexual exploitation.

Today Aisha is 16 years old and back in education.

She has stopped running away, self harming and has set herself "life goals".

For many these would seem small steps, but for Aisha her life has been completely turned around.

*Names have been changed to protect Aisha's identity.

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