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RCGP Safeguarding toolkit

Part 2A: Identification of abuse and neglect

Child criminal exploitation and gangs

Criminal exploitation is a form of child abuse where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes.

The most common form of child criminal exploitation is ‘county lines’. This refers to gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs around the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines or other forms of a ‘deal line’. Gangs exploit children and vulnerable adults into moving drugs from a hub, normally a large city, into other markets such as suburban areas and market and coastal towns. Gangs will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.

Children as young as 12 years old have been criminally exploited into carrying drugs for gangs. This can involve children being trafficked away from their home area, staying in accommodation and selling and manufacturing drugs. This can include: Airbnb and short term private rental properties, budget hotels or the home of a drug user, or other vulnerable person, that is taken over by a criminal gang- this may be referred to as cuckooing.

Victims may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child criminal exploitation does not always involve physical contact, it can also occur using technology like social media.

Common characteristics of child exploitation are:

  • control, coercion, intimidation, threats of violence, and violence
  • associating with other children involved in exploitation
  • suffering from changes in emotional well-being and/or behaviour
  • misuse of drugs and alcohol
  • appearing with unexplained gifts, money or new possessions
  • going missing for periods of time or regularly coming home late
  • regularly missing school or education, or not taking part in education.

Gang membership is complex. For some children, it represents little more than a loose social connection - a hashtag for Instagram. Yet this is the exception. The criminal gangs operating in England are complex and ruthless organisations, which use sophisticated techniques to groom children and chilling levels of violence to keep them compliant. They prey upon marginalised children who have often been let down by multiple agencies. As well as gang members, there are many gang associates and others on the periphery, not given the status of membership but who are being groomed and exploited by gangs. Many of these children don’t feel that they have any choice about their situation.

All children can fall victim to gangs and criminal exploitation. However, the Children’s Commissioner report, ‘Keeping kids safe. Improving safeguarding responses to gang violence and criminal exploitation’, shows that on the whole gang members are highly vulnerable children with a range of factors increasing their risk of being drawn into gangs.

The children at greatest risk are children who have multiple interlinked vulnerabilities – both at the individual level (such as mental health or special educational needs) and the family level (such as abuse and neglect). Gangs exploit children experiencing three particular risk factors:

  • Risks around their home environment such as domestic abuse, unstable housing, neglect or abuse, substance or alcohol misuse.
  • Child-level characteristic: special educational needs, poor mental health, being bullied, being excluded from school, being denied CAMHS input.
  • Children at risk because of a failure of institutions to respond adequately, for example children excluded from school or deprived of much-needed mental health support.

Once a child is within a gang, extricating them can be very difficult. While gangs may entice children with money and bribes, once children are involved, they use threats, violence and intimidation to keep children under their control. These children may need a range of interventions, but the single most important thing is for them to have a relationship with at least one trusted adult who can help divert them away from gangs and access other services. Because of this, the children most at risk are those who are isolated and invisible to the authorities, generally let down by multiple agencies.

References