Advice to Government – Child Criminal Exploitation – Safeguarding Children and Young People from Abuse and Exploitation.

The Children’s Commissioner provided advice to Government on Safeguarding Children and Young People from Abuse and Exploitation from Criminal Gangs.

“No violence against children is justifiable; all violence against children is preventable” (2006 UN Study on Violence against Children).

“While we hear about high profile assaults and shootings or episodes of civil unrest in the media, we rarely hear about the full range of harm and abuse which affects children and young people’s daily lives.” – Koulla Yiasouma.

Concerns about young people’s safety includes threats to life if they do not leave areas or comply with requests, drug debt and involvement in distribution and supply; being coerced into intimidating or harming others; violent protest and civil unrest; and recruitment into or being ‘claimed’ by paramilitary or criminal gangs.