26/02/2026
Youth Work Alliance welcomes the report published by the Criminal Justice Inspectorate Northern Ireland (CJI): An Inspection of Child Criminal Exploitation in Northern Ireland.
The report exposes a systemic crisis, highlighting an "inconsistent and, in many respects, inadequate" response to child criminal exploitation - a grave form of child abuse.
At Youth Work Alliance, we believe that every child has the fundamental right to be protected from harm. For any response to succeed, professional youth work must be at the heart of multi-agency partnerships, ensuring that children are seen as children first, not as problems to be managed.
This inspection reveals critical failings that undermine children’s rights and the implementation of key safeguarding legislation:
Criminalising Vulnerability: Children are frequently treated as "suspects" or "offenders" rather than victims of exploitation. This violates their right to protection and denies them the support they deserve.
The "Invisible" Scale: A lack of specific data markers means the true scale of exploitation is hidden. We cannot protect children if we do not acknowledge the reality of their experiences.
Failing the Missing: There is a dangerous failure to link missing episodes to exploitation. Every time a child goes missing, it is a signal for help that the system is currently failing to hear.
The Silenced Voice: Crucially, the voice of the child is largely absent from police and prosecution records. This ignores the child’s right to be heard in all matters affecting them.
A Shift in Accountability: An over-reliance on children to "disclose" abuse rather than conducting evidence-led investigations—places the burden of proof on the victim and allows adult exploiters to remain at large.
The report’s case studies are a harrowing reminder of the human cost of these systemic gaps. Whether it is a 13-year-old misclassified before suffering further abuse, or a 15-year-old arrested for crimes orchestrated by adults, these children have been let down by the very systems designed to keep them safe.
"A child’s trauma should never be mistaken for a crime. When we treat exploited children as criminals, we reinforce the control of the exploiter. Our collective failure to protect these young people is a call to action we must answer with urgency, compassion, and a commitment to their rights."
Youth Work Alliance stands ready to collaborate with the PSNI, Department of Justice, Department of Health, and all safeguarding partners to design and implement a unified, rights-based child-centred framework.
We advocate for a restorative, multi-agency approach that embeds professional youth work at every level. Our CEO, John Lynch, who has worked in this space for over 20 years, emphasises:
"For too long, the 'offender' label has shielded exploiters.
We echo the Chief Inspector’s call: “we must see children as children, protect them from harm, and vigorously pursue those robbing them of their childhoods."
We fully support the report’s recommendations, specifically Strategic Recommendation 2, calling for an adequately resourced delivery model. We urge the Northern Ireland Executive to recognise professional youth work as a safeguarding necessity and a fundamental right for our young people, not an optional extra.
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