Coronation Street star Lucy Fallon has joined the fight against grooming by appearing in a video for Childline in the UK, which warns young people of the signs of sexual exploitation.
The 21-year-old actress has been at the centre of the ITV soap's big storyline which sees her 17-year-old character, Bethany Platt, being groomed and sexually exploited by boyfriend Nathan Curtis (Chris Harper).
Having worked with Childline in the UK to research the storyline, Fallon now stars in the organisation's How Do I Know If I'm Being Groomed? video.
"Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a young person to gain their trust so they can force or trick them into doing something sexual," she said.
"As we are seeing with Bethany's story, a young person may not understand that they are being groomed so it's really important to raise awareness of this type of abuse.
"I'd encourage anyone who thinks they are being groomed to tell someone they trust or to contact Childline for free and confidential advice any time of day or night."
Childline counsellor Helen Scarlett paid tribute to Coronation Street's work on the issue.
"Bethany's story on Coronation Street shows how abusers exploit the vulnerabilities of their victims to increase their dependence on them and reduce the likelihood of them seeking help," she said.
"Hopefully by talking about some of the signs of grooming we can help young people understand the difference between a healthy and unhealthy relationship and encourage them to speak out if they are worried about something that is happening to them or to someone else."
If you have been affected by this storyline please contact Childline in Ireland on 1800 66 66 66 or The Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 778 888.
Coronation Street, weeknights, TV3 and ITV
