What is Child Criminal Exploitation?
What is Grooming?
Am I at risk?
Gangs & Groups
Where to get help?
Resources
What is criminal exploitation? [pdf document]
What is grooming? [pdf document]
Am I at risk? [pdf document]
Groups & Gangs [pdf document]
Where to get help? [pdf document]
Darlington Parent & Carers information pack [pdf document]
The Slang Dictionary [external link]
Disrupting Exploitation [external link]
Marie Collins Foundation [external link]
Snapchat News Story [external link]
What is Financial Exploitation? [external link]
Money-laundering Linked Financial Exploitation - Guidance for Frontline Professionals [external link]
Parent & Carers [external link]
I am a Young Carer [external link]
Childline - Report Remove [external link]
Look Closer Resources [external link]
What should I do if I’m worried a child is being exploited?
If you think a child is being harmed or in immediate danger of being harmed dial 999/ non-emergency 101 or contact your local authority social care department, or the NSPCC.
If you’re worried a child is being exploited, it’s important to reach out to professionals and share your worries, as the information provided can be vital to providing the correct support.
Contact Darlington Borough Council’s Children’s Initial Advice Team on 01325 406222 (Public Line) 01325 406252 (Professional Line)
Further Help
The National Crime Agency County Lines website explains more about county lines and indicators of exploitation in your area. National Crime Agency [external link]
Safe 4 Me has details about support services nationally for young people impacted by Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation. They also have lots of information regarding specific forms of exploitation, understanding trauma, rights and the law and much more. Safe 4 Me [external link]
The Safeguarding Network have helpful tips for understanding indicators of exploitation and what may make a young person more vulnerable to being exploited. The Safeguarding Network [external link]
The NSPCC offers guidance on understanding specific apps and platforms that young people may be using. NSPCC [external link]
First Responder National Referral Mechanism
First Responder Guide for England & Wales [pdf document]
First Responder Form Prompt Sheet [pdf document]
Ignore Peer Pressure
Keep Safe Online
The Children's Society - Ignore Peer Pressure [external link]
The Children's Society - Keep Safe Online [external link]
Social Media
Criminal networks use social media to groom and recruit children for county lines. They may send them direct messages (knowns as ‘DMs’) or share messages to wider groups as ‘stories’ or ‘posts’.
Ways organised criminal groups use social media
• advertising drugs through photos, emojis, and price lists
• posting statuses that show money, new drugs or when a dealer is open for business
• dealers sharing ‘stories’ to followers, and using social platforms to expand their network with ‘suggested’ friends
• tricking people with ‘fast cash’ scams, which is often referred to as ‘squares’. Victims may end up working for no little or no money, which is known as ‘debt bondage’
• advertising for ‘workers’ or ‘runners’ to recruit people into county lines activity
• using hashtags linked to drugs
• using emojis as code for drug, violence and sexual activities, eg the snowflake emoji (for buying cocaine), 8-ball emoji (for buying an eighth of an ounce) or the rocket emoji (for purity of drugs)
Emojis as code [jpg file]
