County lines and child criminal exploitation

Children as young as six are being forced to carry and sell drugs far away from their homes. They are made to skip school, sleep in drug dens, keep secrets from their loved ones. They are treated as criminals when they often feel trapped in a hopeless situation.

Enough is enough. County lines and child exploitation must stop. We work hard to end this type of abuse and give those who have been exploited a chance for a better future.

46,000

children in England are thought to be involved in criminal groups. There is likely many more.

84%

of parents are worried about county lines in their area.

4,000

teenagers are being criminally exploited in London alone.

How we help children affected by criminal exploitation

We work hard to stop criminal exploitation of children and make sure it doesn’t define a young person’s future. Young people who have been exploited come to us and we make sure they're treated as victims, not criminals. We help them rebuild their trust and make sure they're not targeted by criminal groups again.

boy in hoodie speaks to adult man in park

#LookCloser

Our #LookCloser campaign works with the British Transport Police and National County Lines Coordination Centre to help people pick up on the signs of child exploitation and learn how to report it.

Across the country, young people are being manipulated, sexually abused, forced to launder money and deal drugs. Exploitation isn't obvious. But it happens everywhere. With this programme, we can spot it and stop it.

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£5 a month could pay for a hot meal, shower and living essentials for a young runaway

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£10 could provide travel to three support sessions, starting a child's journey to recovery

Our Project Pathfinders programme is a project working across Bedfordshire, to offer one-to-one support to young people aged 10-25 who are impacted by exploitation, serious violence and harm.

The service offers young people access to trusted, trained and experienced professionals, in safe spaces. Project Pathfinder specialists work alongside Police Missing Teams, probation services and multi-agency panels ensuring a coordinated, trauma-informed response.

By doing this, young people can find sustained support and reduced harm.

A teenage girl talks to a her parent in a kitchen

Preventing exploitation

Our Prevention Programme empowers professionals and the public to help keep children safe. In our first year people we trained said they felt more confident in spotting the signs and responding to cases of county lines and criminal exploitation.

We focus on how public spaces like bus and train stations, fast food outlets, shopping centres, roadside services and hotels may be places where exploitation is visible. We talk to commuters, coach drivers and railway staff about how to identify children being exploited. Through this project, we have identified potential victims and helped them to escape dangerous situations.

We now work alongside the British Transport Police, delivering workshops across the country. Through our training, officers are less likely to treat the child as a criminal, and more likely to help them get the right support.

13,363

professionals, including police, took part in our Prevention Programme

93%

of them felt better able to support young people afterwards

Are you worried about a child being criminally exploited?

If you think a young person is being exploited call 101 or 999 if you are worried they could be in immediate danger. You can also call the NSPCC on 0808 800 500 to gain expert advice and support if you're concerned about a child.

If you are concerned about a child’s welfare, contact your local social care department. We also have a guide for parents who may be concerned about their child being caught up in county lines.