By Kim Logan, Managing Director, ADR Mediation & Training CIC.
When we talk about conflict, we often focus on the visible behaviours – the arguments, the resistance, the breakdown in communication. But behind many conflicts sit layers of trauma, coercion and unmet need that shape how people show up, respond and protect themselves.
The new From Exploited to Exploiter? report by the Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ) brings this into sharp focus. It explores what happens when children who have been criminally exploited reach adulthood, and how the systems designed to protect them often fall away just as they remain most vulnerable.
For anyone working in mediation, safeguarding or community safety, the findings carry important lessons. They remind us that conflict rarely happens in isolation, and that our responses must evolve alongside our understanding of human behaviour.
The cliff edge of support
One of the report’s most striking insights is how abruptly support changes at 18. A child seen as vulnerable one day may be treated as culpable the next. Yet turning 18 does not make a person suddenly resilient, self-sufficient or free from the influence of others.
For practitioners, this “cliff edge” has real consequences. Many young adults still affected by exploitation or coercion may find themselves facing enforcement rather than empathy. Mediation, restorative dialogue and trauma-informed practice all have a role to play in bridging that gap, helping professionals to see behaviour in context rather than in isolation.
Understanding coercion and complexity
The AYJ report highlights the blurred line between victim and perpetrator. A young person exploited from an early age may, over time, appear to take on a more active role – recruiting others, making decisions, or even using control as a way to stay safe.
For those supporting people in conflict, this is a vital reminder: the labels we use can limit our understanding. Conflict resolution requires curiosity. It asks us to hold two truths at once – that someone’s actions might cause harm, and that those actions may also stem from harm that has not yet been addressed.
This is where reflective supervision and mentoring become essential. Without structured space to explore those complexities, practitioners risk burnout, bias or defensiveness… all of which undermine safe, balanced decision-making.
Building trauma-informed responses
Trauma changes how people process threat, trust and power. It shapes communication styles, tolerance for stress, and reactions to authority. A trauma-informed approach isn’t just about empathy, it’s about equipping practitioners to recognise survival strategies for what they are, and to respond in ways that de-escalate rather than re-trigger.
At ADR Mediation, this understanding runs through our training and consultancy work. Whether we’re supporting housing officers, HR professionals or community mediators, the goal is the same: to create space where difficult conversations can happen safely, with awareness of the stories that sit beneath the surface.
Supporting practitioners and systems
The AYJ report calls for joined-up, developmentally aware responses that don’t stop at 18. That same principle applies to professional support. Practitioners working at the intersection of conflict and safeguarding need access to guidance, challenge and reflection to sustain their practice.
Our ADR membership offers that structure – a space to explore decisions, patterns and emotions with experienced mediators who understand the realities of this work. For organisations, it’s about helping to embed those reflective spaces across teams so that staff feel confident, supported and resilient. Our organisation level membership offers just that.
Creating change through understanding
Conflict, coercion and change are all part of the same continuum. As the AYJ report makes clear, we need systems – and people – that can hold that complexity without rushing to judgement.
That starts with training, policy and practice that recognise vulnerability not as weakness, but as context. It means working collaboratively across sectors and staying grounded in empathy and evidence.
If your organisation is looking to strengthen its approach to conflict resolution, or provide staff development around communication skills and mediation, get in touch to explore how ADR Mediation can support your team.
You can access the Alliance For Youth Justice Report here.
