Criminally exploited children
Tens of thousands of children and young people across the UK are at risk of criminal exploitation.
Criminal exploitation of a child or young person is when they are forced or pressured into committing criminal activities.
This could include dealing drugs, carrying weapons or stealing. All while risking their own safety, wellbeing and future.
Over the years, we've taken action by campaigning for change. And we run services across England, Scotland and Wales, supporting those who are at risk, or have already been exploited.
Helping them move forward towards a better future.
Loving parents often feel powerless to keep their children safe, and many don't know where to turn for help.
Exploited young people often encounter the police. Sometimes, they're spotted as victims of exploitation and offered support. But this chance is often missed.
Since 2012, we've been running intervention services across the UK to support and protect children and young people aged 11-18 at risk of criminal exploitation, and their families.
Through one-to-one peer mentoring, our services provide education, training and practical skills to help them move forward.
And most recently, thanks to the National Lottery players, Action for Children has received almost £5 million from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.
This transformative grant that we'll receive across the next three years will allow us to open five new exploitation intervention services.
Alongside this, we'll be able to expand activity at three of our existing services in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Flintshire.
The funding comes from The UK Fund, one of The National Lottery Community Fund’s significant commitments as part of its 2023-2030 strategy, ‘It starts with community’, funding projects that help children and young people thrive - one of the funder’s four key missions.
My peer mentor told me the life I was living ends in one of two ways...prison or the grave. It was shocking but it's what I needed to hear
Chris*, a young person we've supported through our services
In November 2023, we launched the Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children.
We wanted to understand the measures in place to protect children from exploitation and identify the missing gaps.
Since the review and in line with our recommendations, the government has made child criminal exploitation a criminal offence, as part of the new Crime and Policing Bill.
We've also worked alongside the government to create new prevention orders that allows the police to place restrictions on anyone they believe is exploiting children.
Alongside this, The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes a new ID number for every child. This will allow services to easily share information and protect those at risk of exploitation.
Our recommendations to the government:
- A ‘welfare-first’ response to offences committed by criminally exploited young people. Victims of exploitation are entitled to legal protections from the criminal justice system, giving them the chance to rebuild their futures.
- New powers for the police and courts to see adults who exploit children face justice, ensuring the exploiters answer for their crimes.
- A new statutory definition of criminal exploitation of children, alongside a national plan to prevent the exploitation of children, led by the UK government, to transform and join up how all services keep children safe.
- Funding for early intervention services to support children and their families, before they’re trapped in exploitation, so there's somewhere to go for help.
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