New Report Highlights Elevated Risks and Uneven Responses to Child Criminal Exploitation in Northern Ireland
The Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime’s (EPPOC) commitment to supporting system-wide, effective responses continues with the publication of a comprehensive review examining Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and organisational readiness across Northern Ireland.
Commissioned by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland and funded by EPPOC, the report – authored by Dr Colm Walsh, Dr Antoinette Keaney-Bell, and Alan McKinstry – offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of the factors driving CCE and the capacity of statutory agencies to respond.
Key findings reveal:
- 1. CCE risk is heightened in communities where deprivation, educational exclusion, youth population density, violent crime, and paramilitary activity intersect.
- 2. Geospatial analysis identified 76 wards at elevated risk, with Belfast and Derry City & Strabane most affected.
- 3. Survey responses from 85 professionals show significant gaps in training, data recording, and strategic response, despite positive inter-agency cooperation.
The report calls for urgent, data-driven targeting of resources and systemic reform. Recommendations include improved staff training, enhanced information sharing, and the development of real-time data tools to support frontline professionals.
Adele Brown, Director, EPPOC: “This report shines a vital light on the realities of child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland. EPPOC is committed to working with all partners to ensure that every child is protected from harm and that frontline professionals have the tools and support they need to respond effectively.”
EPPOC welcomes this evidence-based approach and encourages all partners to review the findings and recommendations to strengthen collective efforts to safeguard children and young people from exploitation.
