Criminals capitalising on a cost of living crisis
The cost of living crisis is putting young people in danger. As families struggle to afford the essentials, children are feeling the pressure to step up and help. Criminals are taking advantage of this, grooming young people to carry drugs, steal, and launder cash with the promise of ‘easy money'. We can stop this. By learning what abuse and exploitation looks like and how to get help, we can keep children safe from harm.
exploitation can happen to any child
Exploitation can happen to any child
Child exploitation is when a criminal builds a relationship with a young person to manipulate or force them into criminal activity such as carrying drugs, stealing from shops, laundering criminal money through their own bank accounts, or performing sexual acts. A prime example of child exploitation is county lines.
Any child can be exploited. It happens all across the country. And the cost of living crisis is putting even more children in danger.
Help us stop child exploitation
By learning the signs of exploitation and how to get help, we can keep all children safe from harm.
fake jobs and quick cash
Fake job ads and quick cash
When families are struggling to pay for heating, food, and petrol, many children take on these money worries, feeling pressured to step up and supplement their parents’ incomes.
Criminals take advantage of this, targeting young people in desperate situations and promising quick cash, gifts, pocket money, or much-needed lifts to and from school or work.
Young people are then sexually abused or forced into criminal activity, becoming locked into situations they feel they can’t escape from.
examples of child financial exploitation
Increasingly, we’re seeing young people being offered cash for access to their bank accounts, which are then used to launder criminal money. This is called child financial exploitation. We’ve also seen adverts on social media that look like legitimate job opportunities, but are essentially counting money for organised crime groups.
When the criminal activity comes to light, it’s the young person who suffers – their bank account is suspended. They can be arrested and face charges or prosecution. It becomes even harder to save and plan for their future.
facts about financial fraud
51,000
bank accounts were being used for fraud in 2021
21%
more than the previous year
promises of food and warmth
Food and warmth
For young people between 16 and 18 who are living semi-independently or looking for a place to live, the rise in rent, food costs and energy bills means many can’t afford a roof over their head or to keep the heating on.
Offers of hot meals and a warm place to sleep become hard to turn down.
Criminals know this. By providing their basic needs, criminals make young people dependent on them.
They then can sexually exploit the young people or force them to do things they don’t want to do. It can escalate quickly.
Exploitation can be stopped
No child should be exploited. By learning what exploitation looks like, we can keep children safe. Whether you’re a member of the public or work with children, we all have a responsibility to look out for children. And as the cost of living crisis puts more and more young people at risk of exploitation, it’s more important than ever that we take action.
Learn the signs of exploitation, find out how to report it when something’s wrong, and look out for things that don’t seem right next time you’re out and about. Our accredited e-learning training — Act on Exploitation — is there to help your company create safer spaces for young people, your colleagues and customers.
Together, we can keep children safe and stop child exploitation.
