A four-page document sets out the cross-departmental, multi-agency plan to improve the government’s response to the criminal exploitation of young people and to embed this within the child protection system.

It includes an agreed definition of CCE, developed jointly with children and young people, as “a form of child abuse which occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity”.

Justice minister Naomi Long said: “The exploitation of children for criminal purposes may seem like a shocking concept and one which could not happen in a modern progressive society — and yet this is happening every day in Northern Ireland.

“This cross-departmental action plan enables us to implement measures to prevent the criminal exploitation of children and young people and to ensure an effective response when exploitation does occur.

“We need to ensure that children and young people who are criminally exploited are recognised as victims and supported rather than criminalised.”

A significant number of actions under the plan will be led and facilitated by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI).

Health minister Mike Nesbitt said: “Supporting and protecting our young people at risk of criminal exploitation or being exploited requires a whole-society response. This plan demonstrates a cross-Executive determination to tackle this important issue.

“The action plan includes commitments to develop training and guidance for professionals, risk assessment tools, agreed pathways into support services and resources and awareness raising programmes for young people and their parents and carers.

“This is the start of a process which will build capacity among safeguarding professionals to support our children and young people.”

Education minister Paul Givan said: “Education has a key role in supporting young people at risk of, or being harmed by, criminal exploitation.

“Our teachers, classroom assistants and youth workers are uniquely placed to build trusted relationships with those at risk, identifying issues of concern and delivering positive interventions. However, they cannot do it alone.

“The aim is to create a multi-agency, cross-sectoral response which ensures that our young people can thrive. The development of a specific definition of child criminal exploitation, that can be incorporated into policies and procedures, is an important first step.”