Highlights from the launch of ‘Exploited to Exploiter?’
On 19th September, we held the launch event for our new report, ‘From Exploited to Exploiter? Preventing the unjust criminalisation of victims of child criminal exploitation in the transition to adulthood’. More than 120 people joined us online for a panel discussion that brought together expertise from across the youth justice sector.
We were delighted to be joined by Dr Grace Robinson (Black Box Research and Consultancy), Dez Holmes (Research in Practice), and Aika Stephenson (Just for Kids Law). The AYJ’s own Okala Elesia also shared perspectives from members. Together, the panel reflected on how young people affected by child criminal exploitation (CCE) are too often criminalised once they turn 18, looking at what needs to change. We want to thank everybody who came to the event, and everyone who has looked at the report so far.
Launching the report
The event opened with Millie Harris, author of the report and the AYJ’s Policy Manager at the time, setting out how turning 18 often means falling off a cliff edge for exploited young people. Safeguarding and support can disappear, and those previously recognised as victims are at increased risk of being seen as perpetrators. She highlighted the report’s findings that opportunities to safeguard are routinely missed, with exploitation not properly investigated or understood, young people fearful of disclosing their experiences, and legal protections applied inconsistently.
In this clip, Millie lays out the key findings of the report.
Here, Millie presents ten features of a supportive approach for exploited young people, and shares the report’s recommendations.
Reflections from the panel
Bringing perspectives from research, practice, the law, our members and the children and young people they work with, the panel highlighted both the scale of the problem and the possibilities for change.
Dez talks about siloed working, and the desperate need to do “good systems thinking” that is intentionally boundary spanning.
Dez Holmes – Research in Practice
Dez challenged the binary thinking that continues to dominate practice and policy and leads to siloed working with children and young people falling through the gaps between both safeguarding and youth justice systems and children and adult frameworks. She argued that “the binary notion of childhood and adulthood, victim versus villain, simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.” Dez also pointed to Transitional Safeguarding approaches like the Vulnerable Adolescents Supported into Adulthood (VASA) approach in Kingston and Richmond that is getting things right. We covered the work of VASA in a blog posted alongside the report here. Dez closed with a memorable reflection that a recipe for driving the necessary change is “two parts hope to one part rage.”
Grace examines how justice system responses to exploited children shift when a child approaches the age of 18.
Grace Robinson – Black Box Research & Consultancy
Grace highlighted three key barriers that exploited young people face as they turn 18. The first is recognition: young people’s exploitation is often not identified, with many instead reframed as offenders. The second is disclosure: children and young people may not be able to explain what has happened to them. The third is the criminal justice response: even when exploitation is evident, courts frequently fail to account for it, overlooking coercion and control. As Grace explained, “When coercion and control are overlooked in courtrooms, it leaves young people carrying blame that should never have been theirs”.
Aika talks about how criminally exploited young people caught up in the justice system are treated like children on the one hand, but tried like adults on the other.
Aika Stephenson – Just for Kids Law
Bringing a legal perspective, Aika Stephenson reflected on how protections designed to shield exploited young people are not consistently applied once they turn 18. She warned that while the Modern Slavery Act and Section 45 defence should protect those forced into offending, in practice young adults are often excluded or left without proper consideration of their circumstances. “The protections are there in law,” Aika explained, “but unless they are applied fairly and consistently, exploited young people will continue to be criminalised for situations beyond their control.”
Member view – Okala Elesia, Alliance for Youth Justice
Okala shared perspectives from AYJ members who were unfortunately unable to join the event on the day, focusing on insights from Paul Anderson, CEO of Voyage Youth. Paul stressed that “too often behaviours are seen as personal choices, rather than responses to a lack of support, chronic adversity, racism and systemic barriers. This misunderstanding undermines the ability to see these as vulnerabilities.” Paul also warned that “a focus on culpability, rather than recognising exploitation and vulnerability, pushes young people further away from support and deeper into risk.” Alongside these challenges, he emphasised the importance of trust and participation, arguing that genuine engagement means patience, consistency and sincerity: qualities the voluntary sector is uniquely placed to provide.
Okala also drew on reflections from Adam Elliott, a former AYJ Young Advocate who is now a youth worker after his own experiences of exploitation and Abianda’s Young Women’s Advisory Group who both contributed to blogs published alongside the report (see links below)
Looking ahead
We are grateful to everyone who joined us and contributed to the discussion. The message was clear: we need a response that protects, rather than punishes, criminally exploited young adults. You can read the full report here and explore our accompanying blogs, featuring reflections from The Children’s Society, Abianda and the Abianda Young Women’s Advisory Group, Adam Elliott, and the VASA approach. These offer further insights from practitioners and young people.