Lunchtime seminar: Definitions of child exploitation
This podcast is the recording of a Modern Slavery PEC lunchtime seminar, launching a research report on how definitions affect the UK’s response to child trafficking.
In 2024, nearly 6,000 children were identified as potential victims of trafficking in the UK. This figure only includes children identified and referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Identification of trafficked children is extremely difficult.
As the understanding of child trafficking, exploitation and modern slavery evolves, there are many definitions or categories in law and policy that are misunderstood, unclear or overlapping. Evidence shows that the lack of consensus among decision makers and practitioners around definitions has long remained an impediment to coordination, collaboration, and coherence. This has an impact on the services that affected or at-risk children receive, particularly with regard to identification, reporting and the subsequent response by relevant agencies.
For example, how do practitioners understand the differences between child sexual abuse (CSA) and child sexual exploitation (CSE)? How is child criminal exploitation (CCE) defined? Should all CSE and CCE cases be considered child trafficking? When does a child’s case meet the threshold for labour exploitation or domestic servitude? What is the difference with adults for each exploitation type?
On Tuesday 22 July 2025, we published a research report led by ECPAT UK that aimed to respond to these questions and explore how these definitions impact cases of children who have been exploited. At this event, the co-author of the report, Laura Duran from ECPAT UK, presented the findings of the research. The project was co-commissioned by the UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC. You can read about it here.
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Identifying child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland
This podcast is a recording of a Modern Slavery PEC lunchtime seminar presenting the findings from a research project conducted by Ulster University and the International Organization for Migration UK (IOM UK), and co-funded by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice and the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) at the University of Oxford, which found that children exploited in criminality in Northern Ireland have not been recognised as victims of modern slavery, despite indications that they may meet the criteria.
Since 2015, only 45 people have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in Northern Ireland as potential child victims of modern slavery that occurred in the UK, with only three referrals in 2023. Until this year, there has also never been a UK or Irish boy under 18 referred to the NRM for criminal exploitation at all in Northern Ireland, compared with nearly 12 thousand children identified for criminal exploitation across the rest of the UK.
In this lunchtime seminar, two researchers from this project, Dr Gillian Kane from Ulster University and Andrew Chisholm from IOM UK, present the findings from their research and discuss the way forward for identification of children exploited in criminal activities in Northern Ireland.
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Lunchtime seminar: Prosecutions under the Modern Slavery Act
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 was introduced to consolidate offences, improve victim protection, and enhance the UK’s ability to prosecute those responsible for human trafficking and modern slavery offences. But despite increased public and professional awareness and a growing number of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals, prosecution and conviction rates under this legislation remain low. What are the reasons for it and what barriers do survivors face to achieve justice?
Online event looking at barriers to prosecutions and convictions under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 from 14 May 2025, with Dr Alicia Heys, a Senior Lecturer in Modern Slavery at the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull, Co-Investigator of the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (at the University of Oxford) on behalf of Hull University. The event is based on research published on 9 May 2025, which you can read on the Modern Slavery PEC website.
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Lunchtime seminar: Forced labour import bans
Recording of the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) online event looking at evidence and best practice around forced labour import bans. Presenting: Dr Sofia Gonzalez de Aguinaga from the Bingham centre for the Rule of Law at BIICL, chaired by Owain Johnstone from the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC at the University of Oxford.
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Protecting children with special needs from exploitation
Recording of the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) online event looking at how we can better protect children with special needs and disabilities from exploitation. Presented by Prof Anita Franklin, Manchester Metropolitan University and hosted by Jakub Sobik from the Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC at the University of Oxford.
The podcast from the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre is where we discuss evidence and research to support good law and policy to protect people from modern slavery. We talk to researchers about evidence they uncover in their research. We want to find out what practical impact on policies, laws and practice our research can have, and in turn what impact it can have on real people’s lives.
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