Child Criminal Exploitation

“Child Criminal Exploitation occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or (c) through violence or the threat of violence. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.”

Serious Violence Strategy, Home Office

• Government statistics report child criminal exploitation as a factor for 14,420 children during assessment by children’s social care in England, in the year to 31 March 2023, up 42% from 10,140 the previous year.
• According to the National County Line Coordination Centre, since 2019, 5.627 county lines have been closed.
• In the first half of 2023, 23% of cases for money mule activity involved people under 21. 
• Older adolescents are more likely to be recorded as having been criminally exploited but there’s evidence that primary-school-age children are also targeted. 

Any child or young person can be criminally exploited, but they are more vulnerable when they:

• have previous experience of neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse;
• lack a safe/stable home environment, now or in the past (due to domestic abuse or parental substance misuse, parental mental health issues or criminality, for example);
• experience a bereavement or loss;
• are socially isolated or have social difficulties;
• don’t have a safe environment to explore their sexuality;
• are economically vulnerable;
• are homeless or in insecure accommodation;
• have connections with other children and young people who are being exploited in any way;
• have family members or other connections involved in adult sex work;
• have a physical or learning disability;
• are in care (particularly those in residential care and those with interrupted care histories).

As with other forms of exploitation and abuse, there are things that we can look out for that might indicate that someone is being criminally exploited.

These include a child or young person who:

• acquires money, clothes, mobile phones, etc., without plausible explanation;
• has gang association and/or isolation from peers/social networks;
• is excluded or has unexplained absences from education;
• leaves home/care without explanation and persistently goes missing or returns late;
• is often found outside of the boundaries of their home local authority;
• is stopped by police or arrested for drug-related or weapon offences;
• receives excessive numbers of texts/phone calls;
• returns home under the influence of drugs/alcohol;
• displays evidence of/suspicion of physical assault;
• has relationships with controlling or significantly older individuals or groups;
• has multiple callers (unknown adults or peers);
• has concerning use of the internet or other social media;
• displays increasing secretiveness around behaviours;
• commonly uses slang terms related to drug use and supply.

As with any form of abuse, if you have concerns, speak to your DSL. 

Check young people have safe relationships – in their family, with their peers and with your staff. Create a culture where it’s okay to talk, even about the most difficult things.

Listen and observe – maintain a stance of ongoing professional curiosity. Keep the child’s voice at the heart of your observations. Listen to what they say and observe their body language and behaviours. This is particularly important for children in early years and children with SEND.

Avoid victim-blaming language that can deflect attention from, and down-play, the experiences of victims leading to lack of confidence in reporting and broken trust.

Don’t make assumptions about the level of independence or control a child or young person has simply by the way they present themselves to you and others. Always remember that children cannot consent to their own exploitation. Child criminal exploitation is never the victim’s fault. 

Be aware of additional vulnerabilities – are there children at your setting who may be particularly vulnerable to criminal exploitation? Could they benefit from early intervention?

Consider the child’s lived experiences – view each child in context. Think about contextual approaches to safeguarding.  What are a child’s lived experiences in their home, peer group, your setting, their community and online?

Multi-agency working – while your primary concern will remain the child's safety, your setting may need to work closely with other agencies to ensure information is shared and that the child and their family get the support they need. 

Know the signs and know what to do – use the checklists above, your safeguarding procedures and be confident to raise criminal exploitation as a possibility.

Take action – and keep taking action until you know children and young people are safe.