'Spot the signs' campaign to raise awareness of child criminal exploitation launched

Young people, their families and friends are being urged to ‘Spot the Signs’ of child criminal exploitation in a new campaign being launched by Wiltshire Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The focus on education aims to help stem the instances of child exploitation in our communities and the serious violence often associated with this type of exploitation, including knife crime and gang culture.

The campaign aims to educate young people and those close to them on how to spot that exploitation may be taking over a young person’s life by using a targeted social media campaign aimed at both young people and adults, educational visits to schools and real-life case studies from young people who have managed to break the cycle.

Child criminal exploitation is where criminals use children to commit offences for them in exchange for cash and gifts – these can be actual but also online ‘gifts’ like virtual money in online gaming communities. The young person is then often manipulated and pressured into doing things like stealing or carrying drugs or weapons in return.

Tackling serious violence has been identified as a priority by both Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Catherine Roper and the Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson in recognition of the serious harm it causes victims, their families and the wider communities where it occurs.

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “Child criminal exploitation is often an unnoticed crime, which is what makes it so dangerous with potentially devastating consequences. Criminals tend to prey on young children, taking advantage of their innocence for their own benefit whilst putting them in very dangerous situations.

“It is so important that we educate young people so they can become street wise when it comes to recognising signs of exploitative behaviour, whether it’s happening to them directly or a friend and they know where to get help.

“This type of crime has a devastating impact on the young people involved, their families and the wider community and what we then see is that trauma being carried forward and becoming a precursor to further offences in our communities.

“The police cannot tackle this issue alone, and my office will continue working with the police, partners and the right organisations including young people themselves to ensure this type of crime is being recognised, reported and that those directly affected are protected.”

The Wiltshire Serious Violence Duty Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA) – a multi-agency initiative which aims to better understand serious violence in Wiltshire and why it happens – highlights a 2023 schools survey which demonstrated that only 3% of young people admitted to having carried a knife.

However, most young people estimated that around 19% of their peers carried a knife, demonstrating the significant difference between the perceived threat of youth knife carriers versus the reality perpetuating a culture of fear amongst young people.

This campaign will also challenge these perceptions. 

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Cooper said: “The dangers of child criminal exploitation are real and significant, and the purpose of this campaign is to educate both children and parents of how to spot the signs that a child may be being exploited.

“The risks associated with child exploitation are manyfold. The child may be being subjected to threats, blackmail, emotional abuse or violence, or not be able to leave or cut off ties with the exploiters.

“We know one of the primary reasons young people carry knives is self-defence – the fear that if they are not carrying a knife then they won’t be able to defend themselves against someone who is.

“We must challenge that perception because, as we have seen, the consequences of young people being involved in knife crime can be lifelong.”

Spot the signs. Stop the crime.

• Unexplained money or gifts, such as new trainers, clothing or phones
• Significant decline in school attendance and/or performance
• Changes in mood and behaviour, such as becoming more surly, aggressive or angry
• Increasing amounts of time spent on social media, particularly talking to ‘friends’ they haven’t met or you don’t know
• Relationships with older people
• Possession of a second mobile phone from which they are receiving a high volume of calls or need to leave urgently after receiving a text/call
• These indicators do not necessarily mean a child is being exploited – however they are possible warning signs which could indicate that a child is being used by criminal gangs for their own gain.

To get more information on child criminal exploitation, please visit the Check It Out web page which provides resources for different age groups as well as help and signposting, or alternatively visit Child criminal exploitation | Child abuse | Wiltshire Police.