Grooming gang public awareness campaign information: FOI release

Information requested

1. Has the Scottish Government run any public awareness campaigns about grooming gangs since Operation Cerrar became public?

2. What was the content and reach of these campaigns?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. The Scottish Government has not run any public awareness campaigns on group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation (grooming gangs) since Operation Cerrar became public.

Sexual abuse and exploitation are serious criminal offences that have profound and lasting impacts on victims and their families. The Scottish Government considers the protection of children to be of the utmost importance. To support this, the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group has been established and is progressing a programme of work aimed at strengthening Scotland’s response to child sexual abuse. This includes ongoing activity in relation to workforce development, improving data, and consideration of mandatory reporting.

In addition, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate are undertaking an independent national review of responses to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation. The first phase of this review is expected to report in late summer 2026.

This review will be conducted alongside the independent Statutory Inquiry into Group-Based Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in Scotland, announced in February 2026 and chaired by Professor Alexis Jay. It will also complement work being undertaken by Police Scotland to review previous cases and gather evidence on the scale and nature of group-based offending in Scotland.

The Scottish Government also supports a range of activity to improve national awareness and understanding of CSAE. This includes support for the Crimestoppers/Fearless Sextortion campaign, as well as funding for the Child Protection Committees’ campaign “What if you’re right”. In April 2025, the Scottish Government published Parent Club resources on criminal exploitation , aimed at increasing awareness among parents and providing information on how to access support. These resources include guidance on online safety and highlight risks to children.

Separately, and not directly linked to Operation Cerrar, the Scottish Government launched a campaign in February 2026 focused on addressing harms in the physical world associated with online misogyny. This action delivered on a commitment under the Equally Safe strategy to engage men and boys on issues relating to misogyny.

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