Intersectionality is a framework that helps us understand how different forms of exploitation and oppression overlap and interact. It recognises that children and young people may experience multiple, interconnected forms of harm simultaneously, and that these experiences cannot be fully understood or addressed in isolation. For example, a child or young person affected by CCE may also be experiencing sexual exploitation, coerced into trafficking drugs or labour exploitation. Addressing misogynistic cultural norms and the normalisation of harmful behaviours that contribute to gender-based violence is required as these dynamics perpetuate inequality, diminish protective factors, and increase vulnerability to exploitation. These overlapping harms can compound vulnerability, increase trauma, and create a complex web of risks and harms that require integrated, nuanced, and compassionate safeguarding responses. The importance of culturally sensitive and context-aware support is critical, with the child or young person’s voice and lived experience reflected in all interventions. By applying an intersectional lens, practitioners can better understand the full scope of a child or young person’s circumstances and develop responses that are holistic, equitable, and empowering. Exploitation, including CCE, is recognised as a form of modern slavery and human trafficking under UK law, which reinforces the need for safeguarding systems to address and respond to these harms comprehensively.