Gangs and child exploitation
Exploitation is when someone builds a relationship with a child to manipulate them. Child criminal exploitation is when a young person is manipulated by a criminal or gang.
For some young people, being a part of a gang gives them a sense of belonging and identity. There are many reasons they might join a gang.
Reasons young people might join a gang include:
- Respect and status
- Seeking friendship
- A sense of belonging
- Looking for a thrill
- Peer pressure
- Financial gain
- Wanting power and/or protection
Often young people will not see themselves as being part of a ‘gang’ but that they just very committed to their ‘friends.’
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Gangs and child exploitation
Exploitation is when someone builds a relationship with a child to manipulate them. Child criminal exploitation is when a young person is manipulated by a criminal or gang.
For some young people, being a part of a gang gives them a sense of belonging and identity. There are many reasons they might join a gang.
Reasons young people might join a gang include:
- Respect and status
- Seeking friendship
- A sense of belonging
- Looking for a thrill
- Peer pressure
- Financial gain
- Wanting power and/or protection
Often young people will not see themselves as being part of a ‘gang’ but that they just very committed to their ‘friends.’
County lines
County lines is when gangs exploit children to transport and sell drugs, typically between cities to smaller towns. Those involved have dedicated phone lines for taking orders, they use children who are less likely to be stopped by police. This activity is criminal exploitation and allows adult dealers to avoid the risk of arrest.
Taking advantage of a young person, to then persuade them into carrying out criminal acts is exploitation.
Young people may be recruited through grooming, this can happen in four stages.
Stages of grooming
- Targeting: they are befriended through social media or their peer group, and their trust is gained.
- Experience: they are offered new experiences in the form of gifts, money, drugs, alcohol as a way to control them.
- Hooked: they become involved in criminal activities, taking on increasing responsibility within the group. They may initially feel as it is a choice.
- Trapped: they may find they are trapped, unable to leave. They may be controlled through threats against them or their family or attacked to ensure they are too afraid to tell anyone.
Know the signs of child exploitation
There are some things you can look out for if you’re worried your child may have joined a gang and/or is a victim of criminal exploitation. These include:
- Staying out at night or going missing for days
- Being isolated and withdrawn
- Having new things and money they can’t explain
- Owning weapons, balaclavas, or digital scales
- Frequent unexplained phone calls
- Seeming edgy or anxious after calls, texts or messages
- Having multiple phones
- Being in a new friendship circle including older people
- Not going to school/college or a change in performance
- Being in trouble or found in possession of drugs
If your child is involved in a gang and this has impacted your family, please reach out. There are services available to support you and your family through this challenging time.
Resources
Missing People: provide SafeCall a free, confidential and anonymous helpline and support service for young people and family members that are affected by missing, county lines and criminal exploitation.
- Call or text: 116000
- Email: 116000@missingpeople.org.uk
The Mix: is a support service for young people offering advice on a variety of topics from break-ups, county lines to mental health.
- Offer free online counselling for 11-24 year olds
- You can contact their crisis messenger 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by texting THEMIX to 85258
Service Six: offer mental health and wellbeing support for young people and their families. This includes therapy, family sessions and group support. To get help, fill out the self-referral form on their website.
The Children’s Society : give information and advice about county lines and criminal exploitation. They share advice for young people and can direct you to support services.
Guiding Young Minds: provide specialist support for young people, helping them to overcome challenges in their lives. They also offer guidance for parents to help them better support their children.