Understanding child criminal exploitation in England and Wales: perspectives from children and practitioners

• In Event: Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence

Abstract

Child criminal exploitation has been a growing policy and practice concern in England and Wales in recent decades, in particular linked to county lines, youth violence or gangs (Koch et al., 2024; Spicer, 2021). However, existing research has found that current policy and practice is failing to adequately address child criminal exploitation, for example because of the legislative tension between safeguarding and prosecuting children (Lloyd et al., 2023), the policing, punishment and surveillance of child victims (Koch et al., 2024; Marshall, 2023), or the disproportionate and unequal treatment of children based on their race, gender and age (Wroe, 2021; Davis and March, 2020). This paper presents preliminary findings of a doctoral project which aims to improve understandings of children’s experiences, and pathways in and out, of criminal exploitation. This project views the child as a social actor and rights-subject, whose voice must be included in research on matters that affect them (James and Prout, 2008; Tisdall, 2017). These preliminary findings are based on creative interviews with children referred to a support organisation for concerns linked to criminal exploitation in England, as well as semi-structured interviews with a range of professionals working with children identified as victims or at risk of criminal exploitation.

Author

• Clara Paul, University of Manchester