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Campaign to highlight paramilitary harms is making a difference

Posted on by ArdmoreAdmin

The Ending the Harm public awareness campaign is actively changing perceptions about the harms perpetrated by paramilitary gangs in Northern Ireland. This was the clear message from the publication of new market research insight into the public awareness campaign by the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime.

 

The current Ending the Harm campaign was launched in October 2024 and gives a name to the many ways that paramilitaries exploit vulnerable people. It helps to raise awareness and encourage the difficult conversations that are vital to keep people safe from the harm caused by paramilitary gangs. It has appeared in communities right across Northern Ireland and is also present on bus advertising, giving us further visibility in geographical areas where there may be a lack of advertising space. You can view the posters here.

 

 

In December 2024 campaign tracking research was undertaken for the campaign. Approximately 1,000 people were surveyed through an Online Omnibus Survey, with the sample being representative of the Northern Ireland adult (18+) population. The survey results have shown that 77% of respondents regarded the campaign as believable, 66% of respondents thought it was impactful and 89% of respondents fully supported what the campaign was saying and trying to do.

 

The research has highlighted that the majority of respondents agreed with the campaign statements that paramilitary gangs:

 

  • Controlled communities with violence, intimidation and drug dealing (67%)
  • Exploited hard-working local businesses (65%)
  • Forced children into violence, stealing their future (63%)
  • Robbed businesses by taking their hard-earned money (61%)
  • Groomed children to force them to sell drugs (59%)

 

Agreement with the campaign statements was higher with respondents who were already aware of the campaign verses those who were looking at the posters for the first time, helping to validate the importance of this campaign to highlight a range of ‘hidden’ paramilitary harms.

 

Finally, the impact of the campaign on respondents was both significant and powerful, with the majority in agreement that ‘paramilitaries are just criminals’ (79%), ‘there was no place for paramilitary gangs in Northern Ireland’s future’ (77%), ‘paramilitaries don’t protect you, they intimidate their own communities’ (76%), and they exploit women and children (69%).

 

You can view the survey report here.

Landmark study reveals widespread impact of childhood trauma in Northern Ireland

Posted on by ArdmoreAdmin

Launch of a groundbreaking study that has developed the first comprehensive assessment of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among Northern Ireland’s adult population. 

  

“For the first time, the true extent of childhood trauma and its impact on all people in Northern Ireland has been documented and measured for all to see.” This was the message from Justice Minister Naomi Long at the launch of a groundbreaking study that has developed the first comprehensive assessment of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among Northern Ireland’s adult population. 

  

ACEs are defined as traumatic or stressful experiences that occur in childhood. This includes physical, sexual, emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic abuse, parental separation, growing up in a household where there are adults with mental health or drug or alcohol problems or who have spent time in prison. These experiences can have enduring consequences on mental and physical well-being throughout life.  

  

There are few other studies like this in post-conflict settings such as Northern Ireland. The research, commissioned by the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime, and led by a team from Queen’s University Belfast, reveals significant levels of trauma that continue to impact all communities and across generations. 

  

Speaking at the research launch, Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “The findings from this research are both striking and sobering. We now have crucial evidence of how childhood trauma shapes life outcomes in Northern Ireland. The findings show clear correlations between higher exposure to trauma in childhood and many negative outcomes, including poorer educational achievement, chronic health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain, increased exposure to domestic violence, addiction, poor mental health and health-harming behaviours. These are significant findings, which will impact and inform policy and delivery across the Executive. 

  

“That 60% of our adult population reports at least one traumatic childhood event, with nearly one in five experiencing four or more, represents a major public health challenge. More specifically, the finding that 30% of respondents reported conflict-specific adversities illuminates the unique context of trauma in Northern Ireland. Perhaps most concerning is the evidence that, despite being almost 27 years past the Good Friday Agreement, our younger generation continues to experience trauma linked to paramilitary activity.” 

L-R Claire Hazelden, EPPOC Research Analyst; Hugh Widdis, DOJ Permanent Secretary; Justice Minister Naomi Long; Professor Sir Ian Greer, Vice Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast; Dr Colm Walsh, Queen’s University Belfast and Adele Brown, EPPOC Director

Dr Colm Walsh, an academic from Queen’s University Belfast who led the study, commented: “What we see here is the long arm of early adversities, the impact of which extends beyond childhood, affecting a number of key outcomes, ranging from educational attainment, physical and mental health, substance use, and offending. Compared with those who report no ACEs, those who reported four or more, were almost 9 times more likely to be excluded from school as a child, 8 times more likely to have been arrested and 3 times more likely to have used illicit drugs in the previous year as an adult.” 

  

The study also highlighted that both ACEs and Troubles-related trauma were disproportionately concentrated in socio-economically disadvantaged communities, creating further challenges for some areas. 

  

The research was initiated following observations of high trauma levels among participants in the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC), highlighting the need for trauma-informed approaches across Northern Ireland. 

  

Programme Director Adele Brown noted: “These findings underscore the critical importance of understanding and addressing childhood trauma in Northern Ireland.  27 years on from a historical peace agreement, our young people deserve a level playing field where intergenerational and domestic trauma doesn’t hold them back. They have the right not just to peace but a quality of peace. That means making sure that we all question the impact trauma could be having on our friends, family and colleagues and public services and learn how to respond effectively to it. This is much wider than specialist responses, this is about everyday interactions, too. 

  

“We very much hope that the study’s findings will inform policy development and service provision across health, education, justice, and social services sectors in Northern Ireland.” 

 

If you would like to read the report, please click here.

 

To read more about the prevalence and impact of ACEs in Northern Ireland, please click here.

New campaign highlights ongoing paramilitary harm

Posted on by ArdmoreAdmin

“We must shine a light on what is not normal but has been normalised if we are to expose the true nature of paramilitary harm and ensure victims get support.”

 

This was the message from Justice Minister Naomi Long at the launch of the new ‘Ending the Harm’ public awareness campaign which shows how people are being exploited by paramilitary gangs in often ‘hidden’ harms.

 

The NI Executive’s Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC) campaign highlights issues including child criminal exploitation, grooming, violence extortion of local businesses and violence against women and girls. From Monday 7 October, posters will be displayed across a wide range of outdoor advertising sites as well as featuring online and on social media.

 

Speaking at today’s launch, Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “The hidden harms highlighted in this new campaign are examples of those which are perpetrated daily by paramilitary criminals. They are compounded by drug trafficking, intimidation, coercive control of communities, money lending, physical and mental abuse, and undermining the law and criminal justice structures. The result is a complex web of control that extends deep into communities.

 

“It is important therefore that we challenge the true nature of paramilitary influence so it cannot hide in plain sight and it is no longer accepted as normal or inevitable. We want to empower our communities and encourage victims to come forward and get support.” 

 

The Minister added: “Political and community leaders must show courage and leadership on these issues – the courage to speak openly about uncomfortable truths, the courage to challenge long-standing power structures, and the courage to deliver what has been agreed in the Fresh Start Agreement. We all have a role to play, and I hope that this campaign will play a part in supporting this action.”

 

The Political Advisory Group to EPPOC, comprised of representatives from Executive parties Sinn Fein, DUP, Alliance, and UUP, has welcomed this new phase of the campaign, issuing the following collective statement:

 

“We continue to support the vital work aimed at supporting communities and individuals vulnerable to paramilitary harm. The Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC), which was recently extended until 2027, plays a critical role in coordinating, understanding and raising awareness of this issue. This is evident in the latest phase of the Ending the Harm campaign being launched today which draws on EPPOC’s knowledge of the often hidden harms inflicted on communities by violent groups using paramilitary names. Collectively, we believe that it is important to call this criminality out for what it is and facilitate a whole-of-society conversation about that activity, its consequences and causes. This will better enable all of us to ensure that the focus on addressing this harm is best placed, now and in the future.”

 

Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said: “There is absolutely no place in our society for paramilitary groups and their criminal activities, whether money lending, drug dealing or extortion.  These groups use a regime of intimidation, fear and violence to exercise their control over, and take advantage of, innocent people.

 

“Victims are too afraid to come forward and speak up, and we’re left with a worrying cycle of silence, and this is the very issue that we’re trying to address along with our partners. Our communities don’t want to, and don’t deserve to, live in fear of threats of violence.  This is not acceptable in any shape or form, and it’s time to say, ‘enough is enough’.

 

“Police, along with our partners in the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, continue to carry out extensive investigations, search operations, and arrests for all types of criminality linked to paramilitary groups. While we will continue to relentlessly pursue all involved in illegal activity, we cannot tackle this issue alone.  I’m appealing to all victims, as well as those who have information, to come forward and speak to us.

 

“We completely understand that fear can create huge barriers to reporting but we are here to listen, to help and to keep you safe.”