Exploited to exploiter? Preventing the unjust criminalisation of victims of child criminal exploitation in the transition to adulthood
The Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ) today publishes From exploited to exploiter? Preventing the unjust criminalisation of victims of child criminal exploitation in the transition to adulthood. The briefing, funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, examines what happens as exploited children turn 18, exploring how responses across safeguarding and criminal justice fail to keep pace with ongoing risk and harm. It sets out principles and practical steps to ensure protection continues into young adulthood and to prevent the unjust criminalisation of victims.
While awareness of CCE has grown, responses for children remain inconsistent and are too often led by punishment. At 18, those weaknesses are magnified. Support frequently falls away, thresholds for help rise, and young adults are more likely to be treated as perpetrators than recognised as victims. As parliament considers the Crime and Policing Bill’s new offence of child criminal exploitation (CCE), there is a critical opportunity to improve the response for victims – but a growing risk that exploited young adults will be prosecuted as perpetrators.
The briefing is informed by an evidence review and consultation with professionals, legal practitioners, academics, civil servants, and sector experts and identifies several urgent issues:
A cliff edge in safeguarding and support at 18:
Exploitation does not end at 18 but safeguarding and support often do, creating a cliff edge in protection, with victims at increased risk of being criminalised as the criteria for being seen as a victim suddenly shift for young adults.
A criminal justice system that criminalises victimisation:
Opportunities to safeguard are missed due to low professional awareness, siloed policy and services, harmful victim–perpetrator binaries, and weak information sharing.
Police drive children and young adult victims into the justice system when they focus on the offence and fail to fully investigate and identify exploitation.
Care-experienced, special educational needs and disabilities, and Black and mixed heritage children are more vulnerable to criminal exploitation and so a lack of transitional safeguarding and support risks further criminalising these groups, entrenching already existing inequalities and disparities in the justice system.
A graphic outlining the cliff edge criminally exploited young adults face when they turn 18
The briefing sets out characteristics of an effective response that protects, rather than punishes, criminally exploited young adults and calls for:
Ensure safeguarding and support extends beyond 18, with a distinct, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed approach for criminally exploited young adults.
A cross-government taskforce and concordat on criminal exploitation, to tackle policy silos and ensure multi-agency working.
Support police, prosecutors and courts to recognise young adults' continued vulnerability and complex exploitative dynamics, and make use of safeguards and protections against prosecution.
Sustainable voluntary sector support to provide trusted, long-term relationships into adulthood.
Review the National Referral Mechanism and Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act to strengthen their ability to support criminally exploited young adults.
Ensure prosecutors properly apply the CPS public interest test and continually review cases to ensure victims of CCE don't end up in court.
The new offence of child criminal exploitation created under the Crime and Policing Bill must be accompanied by statutory guidance and training that addresses the risk of criminalising exploited young adults and promotes a safeguarding-led response.
A graphic outlining what the AYJ would like to see next across the sector to support criminally exploited young adults
Jess Mullen, Chief Executive of the AYJ, commented:
“This briefing exposes the unjust criminalisation faced by young people at the point of transition to adulthood. Too often, turning 18 means safeguarding ends while exploitation continues — and young adults are punished as perpetrators instead of recognised as victims. At its worst, this results in a young person being seen and treated as exploited one day, and as an exploiter the next, simply because they have turned 18. This is a fundamental failure of safeguarding and justice.
With a new offence of child criminal exploitation on the horizon, this is a key moment for change. A distinct trauma-informed approach that recognises their developmental needs is required for criminally exploited young adults. Safeguarding must come first, joined-up agencies, and beyond a young person’s 18th birthday, so that children and young people are supported into safe and positive futures.”
Read the full briefing here.
For further information, please contact Millie Harris, AYJ Policy Manager, at millie.harris@ayj.org.uk