The report looked at the cases of young people who went missing
The children's
commissioner has said she will monitor what action police take to
address failings identified in a child sexual exploitation report.
It found police made no sustained effort to find out who was responsible for abusing children in the care system. The review into 22 abuse cases in Northern Ireland criticised the authorities for not doing enough.
The report was published by the Safeguarding Board for NI.
In September 2013, the PSNI said it had begun a major investigation into the sexual exploitation of children and young people who had gone missing from care in Northern Ireland.
Officers said they had identified 22 people, aged between 13 and 18, who may have been sexually exploited.
The PSNI investigation was known was Operation Owl.
The report, examining the PSNI response, looked at the cases of young people who went missing a number of times over a 20-month period while being looked after in the care system.
It said PSNI officers were effective in locating the teenagers and returning them to the care system.
However, it found that they failed to properly examine the extent of the child sexual exploitation taking place and their attempts to find and stop the abusers was - in the words of the review - "limited and inconsistent".
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it has recently made policy changes aimed at keeping children safe.
Koulla Yiasouma says she will be monitoring the action taken by police.
Responding to the report, children's commissioner Koulla Yiasouma said: "It satisfies me that they know what needs to be done.
"We now need to make sure that enough is being done and the right things are being done. But it's the action that we'll be keeping a very close eye on.
"The police and other agencies are saying they're getting on with it. I need to be sure, so the work I'll be doing as the commissioner for children is being sure this is having the impact on our children and young people that we need it to have."
The main author of the report, Professor John Pinkerton, said a much clearer focus was needed.
"Who is it that is prepared to exploit these vulnerable children and how is it that we can best disrupt these people and how if possible and appropriate can we get prosecution of these people?"
The head of the PSNI's Public Protection Branch, Det Ch Supt George Clarke said police had "significantly" changed their response since Operation Owl.
"It's not about what we aren't doing, it's about what we weren't doing," he said.
"We've set up public protection branch which didn't exist at that time.
Simon Hamilton said the review had identified "a significant gap" in knowledge about perpetrators of child sexual exploitation
"One of the key things is about effective joint working between police, social care and other agencies and we believe our structures and our approaches have significantly changed to help us better deliver that."
He said his priority was to "make as many young people as safe" as possible.
"If there is a sense abroad that other agencies wish to come in and review this in a year's time whether that be the safeguarding board or anyone else, the police service are very ready for that challenge," he said.
"We've done an awful lot to adjust, learn and to improve the service we give young people."
There was praise in the report for the help offered by some staff from residential care homes, but Health Minister Simon Hamilton highlighted that not enough support was given to protect the teenagers from harm or the risk of harm.
He said the review had identified "a significant gap" in knowledge about perpetrators of child sexual exploitation.
