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Action for Children Report, I Don’t Want to go Down That Road

  • Submitted by: Michael Matheson, Falkirk West, Scottish National Party.
  • Date lodged: Friday, 01 November 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-15162

That the Parliament welcomes the publication of Action for Children’s (AfC) report into criminal exploitation of children and young people, I Don’t Want to go Down That Road; understands that this is the first follow up report to the Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children, which was published in March 2024 and was an extensive UK-wide review of exploitation, led by Professor Alexis Jay CBE; notes that criminal exploitation is a is a form of child abuse in which a child is coerced into committing criminal acts, which can happen to any child; notes that the Jay Review considers that there is no “one-type” of exploited child; acknowledges that AfC launched its criminal exploitation intervention, Service in Scotland, in 2012, which is dedicated to supporting children and young people aged 11 to 18 and their families when the child is experiencing criminal exploitation or deemed at risk; notes that this has since expanded its reach to England and Wales and has helped over 500 children since 2020; considers it important to recognise the five key themes identified through the report as intended harms caused to children and young people; notes that these are behaviours linked to exploitation, vulnerability and unintended consequences, children and young people who cause harm as a result of exploitation and the narrative around those who are exploited; further notes the report found 107 assaults on children and young people out of 179 incidents, including two fatal stabbings, multiple assaults with weapons and acid-attacks, while there were 21 incidences of children being trafficked by exploiters; believes that the analysis of this report found multiple occurrences of behaviours including dealing drugs or missing episodes where they were likely to have been exploited for criminality; acknowledges that 80% of those supported by AfC, who are exploited and are over 16, are either homeless or in temporary accommodation, with the report finding that 68%  were not in education, employment or training, and that 59% of the 140 children and young people, on whom the report is based, are neurodiverse; considers that listening to children and young people who have experienced criminal exploitation as vital in the efforts to tackle this issue, noting that consistency, trust and reliability are key to supporting those in this situation; aligns with the values contained in the report that everyone's collective responsibility should be in ensuring that criminal exploitation cannot be allowed to continue; believes that the report is the first step on a path to reframing the narrative around the criminalisation of children and young people who are being exploited, and looks forward to engaging further with AfC, the Scottish Government and other agencies to ensure all is done to stop the criminal exploitation of children and young people.


Supported by: Annabelle Ewing, Bill Kidd, Rona Mackay, John Mason, Audrey Nicoll, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney