Protecting children from county lines

Introduction

What is county lines?

County lines is a type of criminal exploitation. Urban gangs persuade, coerce or force children and young people to store drugs and money and/or transport them to suburban areas, market towns and coastal towns¹.

It can happen in any part of the UK. County lines is against the law and a form of child abuse.

Children and young people may be criminally exploited in multiple ways. Other forms of criminal exploitation include child sexual exploitation, trafficking, gang and knife crime.

County lines gangs are highly organised criminal networks that use sophisticated, frequently evolving techniques to groom young people and evade capture by the police.

How county lines works

Perpetrators use children and young people to maximise profits and distance themselves from the criminal act of physically dealing drugs². Young people do the majority of the work and take the most risk.

Dedicated mobile phone lines or “deal lines” are used to help facilitate county lines drug deals. Phones are usually cheap, disposable and old fashioned (known as ‘burner’ phones). They are changed frequently to avoid detection by the police.

Gangs use the phones to receive orders and contact young people to instruct them where to deliver drugs. This may be to a dealer or drug user locally or in another county.

Phrases that young people may use to refer to county lines include:

‘running a line’,
‘going OT/out there’
‘going country’
‘going cunch’.

These all refer to going out of town to deliver drugs or money³.

Cuckooing and county lines

Cuckooing happens when a county lines gang takes over the home of a vulnerable adult by coercion or force, and uses it as a base to deal drugs from. A cuckooed address is sometimes referred to as a ‘trap house’, ‘bando’ or ‘spot’ by county lines gangs⁴.

The vulnerable person may have substance use or mental health problems, be elderly or disabled, or be in debt to the gang. It’s important to remember that cuckooed individuals may be in need of support themselves when county lines activity has been discovered.

Like many types of criminal exploitation, county lines is a hidden and underreported crime. Anyone working or volunteering with children should be able to recognise the signs that a child might be being exploited by a county lines gang and know how to help keep children safe.

Risks

County lines often overlaps with other forms of abuse and criminal exploitation, such as child sexual exploitation and child trafficking. It can lead to serious physical and emotional harm to young people¹.

> Find out more about child sexual exploitation

> Find out more about child trafficking

Criminalisation

County lines is a form of child abuse, and it needs a safeguarding response.

However, unconscious bias and adultification can sometimes lead to children and young people being criminalised.

Unconscious bias describes the beliefs and prejudices we form about other people without our conscious awareness.

Adultification is a form of bias where children from certain backgrounds, such as from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities, are perceived as being more ‘streetwise’, more ‘grown up’, less innocent and less vulnerable than other children.

Seeing children as criminals, rather than as victims of criminal exploitation, can lead to children not getting the safeguarding support and protection they need.

> Find out more about racism, bias and stereotypes when safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities

Drugs and alcohol

Perpetrators may use drugs and alcohol to entice young people into the gang lifestyle.

In some cases gangs trick young people into incurring drug debts that they then have to pay off through county lines activity. This is often referred to as ‘debt bondage’.

Physical abuse and violence

There is a strong link between county lines activity and:

serious violence such as knife and gun crime
the use of substances such as acid as a weapon
homicide².

Conflict between rival gangs that are in dispute over who controls an area can lead to serious injury or death for young people who get caught in the wrong place.

> Find out more about physical violence and criminal exploitation

Using force to transport drugs

Some children are forced to transport drugs in ways that are invasive and harmful to their bodies. Young people may be forced to swallow bags of drugs to transport them, which could potentially be life threatening.

The practice of ‘plugging’ is also common, whereby drugs are inserted into a child’s rectum or vagina. This is a form of sexual abuse and in some cases it can cause a child’s death³.

Sexual abuse and exploitation

As well as being used to transport drugs, county lines gangs may sexually abuse and exploit children of any gender⁴.

> Find out more about sexual abuse and exploitation occurring alongside child criminal exploitation

>Learn more about protecting children from sexual exploitation

Financial exploitation and abuse

Gangs may also launder money from drug sales through children’s bank accounts. This might be by using an existing account or forcing or persuading the child to open a new one⁵.

> Find out more about protecting children from trafficking and modern slavery

Recognising

Grooming

The grooming process involves the gang:

seeking out a child to exploit
observing the child for vulnerabilities
finding out what the child’s needs and wants are
manipulating the child into believing that being in the gang can fulfil these needs.

Once they have identified a child, the gang will make contact. This could be in person, via a mobile phone or online. Gangs may also use social media profiles to glamourise gang life and entice young people.

Some children are groomed through family members, for example if they have a sibling or relative who is already involved with a county lines gang.

County lines gangs offer money and status to attract young people. Children may also be attracted to joining a gang by the prospect of belonging to a ‘family’ that will protect them if their own family feels unstable or unsafe.

Once a child is part of a county lines gang their loyalty and commitment will be tested. The gang will begin to trap the child by making them feel powerless to leave. This might include:

threats of violence if they leave
making the child feel like they are betraying their new ‘family’
telling the child they will get in trouble if they seek help because they have committed a criminal offence. ¹

> Find out more about grooming

Signs of county lines exploitation

The signs that a young person is being groomed or exploited for county lines are similar to those of other forms of criminal exploitation.

This includes behavioural signs such as going missing, frequent travel to different locations, being unwilling to explain their whereabouts, changes in mental health and use of drugs and alcohol.

Professionals should also watch for unusual online activity such as being online for increased or excessive amounts of time, building inappropriate relationships, experiencing online abuse or receiving gifts from someone online.

Young people may also have money or possessions, like clothes or a mobile phone, that they are unable to account for. They may carry weapons or have multiple phone handsets (particularly ‘burner’ phones). They may also have train tickets for unusual journeys or become attached to a rucksack or bag that they will not leave.

There may be physical signs that a young person is being exploited. This includes unexplained injuries, refusing food or drink, being in possession of lubricants or condoms, having a dishevelled appearance or being physically unwell.

These signs are not an exhaustive list and there are many other indicators that a young person may be being exploited.

> Find out more about the signs of criminal exploitation

Responding

Responding to concerns about county lines exploitation

If you're worried that a child or young person might be or is at risk of being exploited by a county lines gang, you must share your concerns.

Reporting

If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. If you're worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns.

Follow your organisational child protection procedures. Organisations that work with children and families must have safeguarding policies and procedures in place.
Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Our child protection specialists will talk through your concerns with you and give you expert advice.
Contact the local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the relevant local authority. The local authority the child comes from is responsible for the child’s welfare. But it is also good practice to contact the local authority in the area the child is found, as they may need to be a part of the multi-agency response and there may be other children or vulnerable adults at risk.
Contact the police.

If your organisation doesn't have a clear safeguarding procedure or you're concerned about how child protection issues are being handled in your own, or another, organisation, contact the Whistleblowing Advice Line to discuss your concerns.

> Find out about the Whistleblowing Advice Line on the NSPCC website

When you're not sure

The NSPCC Helpline can help when you're not sure if a situation needs a safeguarding response. Our child protection specialists are here to support you whether you're seeking advice, sharing concerns about a child, or looking for reassurance.

Whatever the need, reason or feeling, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Our trained professionals will talk through your concerns with you. Depending on what you share, our experts will talk you through which local services can help, advise you on next steps, or make referrals to children's services and the police.

> Find out more about how the NSPCC Helpline can support you

National referral mechanism (NRM)

County lines exploitation may involve children and young people being trafficked to different locations.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a framework for identifying victims of modern slavery and human trafficking and ensuring they receive appropriate support.

If you believe a child or young person has been exploited through county lines activity, a referral can be made to the NRM. Initial referrals must be handled by an authorised agency, for example a police force, the National Crime Agency, UK Border Force, UK Visas and Immigration or local authorities.

Evidence of a referral can be used in a young person’s defence in criminal and legal proceedings¹.

> Find out more about what action to take if a child has been exploited through trafficking and modern slavery

Multi-agency working

A multi-agency response is needed to tackle county lines and protect any children involved from further exploitation.

This should include participation from local authority children’s social care, the local authority community safety team, schools, police and youth offending teams.

The local authority the child comes from (if known) is responsible for the child’s welfare². They may need to liaise with child protection agencies in the area the child was found, in order to keep the child safe.

> Find out more about multi-agency working in child protection and safeguarding

Supporting the young person who has been exploited

Abuse and exploitation is never a child or young person’s fault.

The process of supporting a child or young person to break away from county lines exploitation can be complex. It requires tailored and consistent support, multi-agency working and support from specialist organisations.

Young people who are involved with a county lines gang may not accept that they have been exploited. They may also be scared of recriminations if they leave the group. This can lead children and young people to push back when help is offered.

Gangs convince young people that there is no way out for them, in order to trap and control them. This means it’s important for adults to reassure young people that there is a way out of gang life and that help is available when they are ready to leave.

Young people may finally reach out for help in the event of a major incident or emergency. This might include a serious injury or the threat of serious injury to themselves or someone they know, or if someone they know was killed. If professionals do not act quickly and effectively to intervene at this point, the child may be ‘re-groomed’ or pressured back into the gang³.

Childline

If a child or young person needs confidential help and advice about gangs or anything else that’s worrying them, you can always direct them to Childline. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also contact Childline online.

Childline provides information and advice for young people affected by gang activity, drugs or any other form of abuse.

You can also download Childline posters.

Training

To help identify and support children who have experienced county lines, professionals need training which covers:

signs and indicators of county lines exploitation
the legislative framework around criminal exploitation
the NRM referral process
understanding the trauma experienced by young people⁴.

Prevention

Disrupting county lines

Across the UK, the police use intelligence and legal powers to intercept and disrupt the activity of organised crime networks that operate county lines.

The police will also liaise with multi-agency partners, people within the community and local businesses to build a picture of which children and young people may be involved in or at risk of being exploited, and by whom.

Schools and education

Schools and colleges are well-placed to identify any children who may be at risk of county lines and form part of the multi-agency response.

Schools can also help raise awareness of county lines with children and young people through whole-school assemblies, class discussions or smaller group work.

As well as discussing what county lines is and how children might be targeted by gangs, schools should ensure children know who they can talk to if they have any concerns.

> Find out more about having difficult conversations with children

> Find out more about promoting healthy relationships

Exclusion from school

If a child is at risk of being excluded from education, schools should always consider what immediate support can be put in place to protect them from county lines.

This should include exploring what support is available from children’s social care, and voluntary and community organisations.

Working with parents and carers

Engaging with parents and carers can help protect children and young people who are at risk of or are experiencing county lines exploitation.

Parents and carers are often best placed to understand both the needs and strengths of their children. However, professionals should be aware that parents and carers may have fears around:

having their other children ‘taken away’ from them
their child being excluded from school
criminalising their child
recriminations from the county lines gang¹.²

It’s also important to remember that county lines exploitation may be happening in the context of wider challenges for the family, and it can also occur within the family.

Legislation and guidance

Statutory guidance across the UK highlights the responsibility of those in the education, community and care sectors to safeguard children from all forms of abuse including county lines and other criminal exploitation.

County lines may involve child trafficking and modern slavery.

> Find out more about the legislation relating to child trafficking and modern slavery across the UK

Guidance

The Home Office has provided key guidance for all four UK nations on how to recognise and respond to concerns about child criminal exploitation and county lines (Home Office, 2020a).

In England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has provided guidance for frontline practitioners on referral pathways for responding to and safeguarding children involved in county lines exploitation (Ministry of Justice, 2019).

Public Health England (PHE) has published guidance on county lines exploitation to help health professionals prevent child exploitation and protect vulnerable children that have been manipulated and coerced into crime (PHE, 2021).

Practice principles, commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), have been published by The Tackling Child Exploitation (TCE) Support Programme. The principles are for all professionals working with children around effective partnership working when responding to child exploitation and extra-familial harm (TCE Support Programme, 2023).