Methods of manipulation: How criminals exploit teenagers
Any child from any background can be vulnerable to being groomed and exploited, but if a young person feels lonely or isolated, this can increase the risk. Criminal groups prey on that vulnerability to groom and recruit teenagers to commit crimes. And they are using social media and online gaming as an anonymous space, to make it much easier and faster to target young people at risk. We look at how criminals are exploiting teenagers, and how to ensure young people can access the help they need.
Finding vulnerabilities
Being a young person can be quite isolating at times. You’re trying to figure out who you are and what you believe in, but sometimes the pressure of life – including peer pressure – can make you feel like you need to fit in. Feeling ‘different’ can make a young person feel alone.
Loneliness can eat away at every part of a young person’s life. It can mean having nobody to chat to at lunchtime, or no one to ask for help with homework. It can also mean that when things get hard, they feel like they must keep it all bottled up inside.
Finding vulnerabilities
There are adults who are highly manipulative and prey on young people’s vulnerabilities, often by making them feel like they are heard and appreciated. For some teenagers, this can be the first time in their lives that they’ve ever truly felt understood.
Making contact
Criminal groups will target young people in many places. Some might approach teenagers in a park or while they’re out and about, offering them a chance to make some money. They might also make young people feel like they have a sense of purpose, especially if they’re outside and alone because they’ve been excluded from school.
But more and more often, criminal groups are contacting young people on social media or through online gaming. The perpetrator’s ability to send someone a direct message completely anonymously puts these young people at much greater risk, as they might not realise they’re being groomed until it’s too late. Once they realise they’re being groomed, they often have no idea how or are too scared to seek help. These anonymous, online messages are easier to go unnoticed by their parents, and can make spotting the signs of exploitation that much harder.
Teenagers are children too.
Every year, thousands of teenagers are exploited by criminals. Trapped and afraid, they desperately need our help. We help young people break free from criminal groups. We let them know that they’re not alone and ensure they get the specialist support they need to build a brighter, safer future.
Summer's story
Summer's story
Before she met to us, one of Summer’s teachers saw signs that led her to believe that she might be at risk of exploitation. This is when she was referred to project worker April. When April first met Summer, it was clear that she wasn’t very confident and lacked self-belief. Over a series of sessions, April was able to build a strong bond with Summer.
Together they worked through exercises that helped Summer to be able to recognise exploitation, build her confidence, and make informed decisions. Today, Summer’s school life has improved, and she is proud of the work she has done with April.
Summer's story
“The sessions helped her to start building her resilience, her confidence, her self-belief. And now she’s just flying.”
Moving forward
Every year, thousands of teenagers are exploited by criminals, with an 82% rise in online grooming in the last 6 year. They desperately need our help. But all too often, children who have been exploited in this way are treated as criminals. At a time when they most need protection, they’re charged and even imprisoned.
We are here for teenagers who have been victims of exploitation. We help them to process what has happened and feel safe. By listening and letting them know that they’re not alone, we support young people to build the strong, healthy relationships they need to move forward. We work with organisations like the police, local authorities, and businesses, too, encouraging them to learn to disrupt exploitation and act to protect teenagers before it’s too late.
