What child criminal exploitation and county lines mean

Child criminal exploitation occurs when someone uses a power imbalance to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child into committing criminal activity. The child may be given something they need or want, used to generate money or status for others, or controlled through violence or threats.

County lines is a common form of child criminal exploitation. Organised groups use dedicated phone lines or other contact methods to arrange drug supply, often recruiting children and vulnerable adults to move, store or sell drugs and money. Exploitation can involve travel to other towns, but it can also happen locally.

Child criminal exploitation covers more than county lines. It includes money muling, theft, robbery, carrying weapons, storing drugs or cash, cannabis cultivation, begging, shoplifting, holding phones, arranging lifts, and recruiting other children. The constant is that someone with greater power is using the child.

What staff should remember

• Children cannot consent to being exploited.
• Criminal activity may be part of the abuse.
• County lines can be local, regional or cross-border.
• Girls and young women may be under-identified.
• Any child can be targeted, including children with no obvious previous risk signs.

Current legal context

The key question is not whether the child looks involved. It is whether someone is using the child for criminal gain, control or status.