Criminal exploitation
What is Context ?
How young people experience life online
Crimes that children and young people can be manipulated into committing include:
- theft
- pickpocketing
- drug dealing
- trafficking
- violence and threatening behaviour
- county lines
- cuckooing
- the holding and moving of guns and weapons
Any child or young person can be exploited. Vulnerable children, including those experiencing poorer mental health, are most at risk.
Criminal exploitation generally involves gangs. Criminals may use an imbalance of power to exploit a victim. This imbalance can involve a difference in:
- age
- intelligence
- size or strength
- status
- wealth
Motivations and risks
Risks
Children and young people can be manipulated into criminal behaviour, like:
Children and young people can be manipulated into crime through romantic relationships. Young people can also put their family relationships at risk through misuse of shared devices or bank accounts.
Motivations
Reasons a child or young person might be vulnerable to exploitation include:
- a sibling or relative involved in criminal behaviour
- peer pressure
- they want protection to feel safe from gangs or criminals
- attachment issues
- they are emotionally vulnerable
- neglect (including poverty) or abuse
- social isolation or other social difficulties
- disability
- mental health issues
- alcohol or drug problems
- being in care
- being excluded from mainstream education
Getting involved in crime can appeal to someone for different reasons. This can be because they want to:
- have money, clothes, designer wear, jewellery, gadgets or mobile phones
- feel more popular or wanted
- have relationships with older people
- fit in with a new crowd
- carry weapons
- possess or use drugs and alcohol
Behaviours like carrying weapons, possessing or using drugs and buying alcohol are criminal offences.
Young people’s voice
Young people’s experience of the context
Have a think about the way young people behave and why that behaviour might be happening. Your disruptive kid at the back of the class - is that kid traumatised and acting out because they don’t know what to do? You can’t turn around and be like, ‘You’re just being naughty.’ Surely if you’re going through something, your behaviour’s going to change. And it could change in different ways, depending on what the trauma does to you. Feeling safe is the most important thing. When I’m feeling safe, I can express how I’m doing, and what I’m going through, and not feel like something bad is going to happen when I speak about it.
Multi-Agency practice principles for responding to child exploitation and extra-familial harm: Research in Practice 2022
I feel like if a person has the courage to come forward and admit that something’s happened to them, then you should always believe them first. I don’t feel there should be blame. I feel like I have been shamed a lot, and that I’m a burden. I don’t think a lot of the professionals mean it, but I feel like there’s always... judgement. Like about my background. You want someone to speak to you like you’re worth speaking to... that’d just make such a difference, because then you’d feel like they respected what you were saying. I just need someone to be with me, not against me.
Multi-Agency practice principles for responding to child exploitation and extra-familial harm: Research in Practice 2022
Where young people explore criminal exploitation online
Read more about criminal exploitation
Share your experience of criminal exploitation
You can tell us about:
- other terms you might have heard
- conversations you’ve had with young people
- a related platform or app
- another related risk or harm