One in nine teenagers have been approached by criminals to sell, move or store drugs, weapons or money, research reveals.
More than a quarter of those approached accepted the offer, representing about 120,000 teenagers across England and Wales, according to the results of a survey by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), an anti-youth violence charity.
The survey of nearly 11,000 children aged 13 to 17 found that many teenagers are offered rewards to take part in illegal activities, with 42% offered money and 27% offered drugs or alcohol. Others experienced threats: about one in five (22%) said they had been threatened with physical or sexual violence, 18% were blackmailed, and a similar proportion (18%) were told they owed a debt.
Jon Yates, the chief executive of YEF, said: “It’s horrifying how many children are being targeted to sell, transport or hide drugs. For some, it might seem like a quick favour or easy money, but to put it plainly, we are letting thousands of our children be exploited into crime. We must recognise the warning signs and provide timely support that has been proven to help children break free from this cycle of harm and violence.”
A small proportion of teenage children (2.4%) said they had been in a “gang” – defined as group-based criminality that identified as such – in the past year, with a further 4% saying they had previously been a member. Motivations included peer pressure, boredom, protection and belonging, seeking status or power, settling “beefs” or wanting money. More than half (55%) of gang members had sold or transported drugs, or stored weapons, drugs or money.
Contrary to stereotypes of gangs being overwhelmingly male, girls made up 39% of 13- to 17-year-old gang members in the past year. And while the proportion of boys who said they had sold or transported drugs, or hidden drugs, weapons or money, was higher (4.2%), 2.5% of girls said they had done so.
Children who were exploited into criminal activities were significantly more likely to experience serious violence. Nearly half (48%) had been victims of violence severe enough to need medical treatment – 18 times higher than those who had never been approached (3%). More than half (51%) had also physically hurt someone themselves, compared with just 1% of those not approached.
Children who had left gangs said it was because of reasons including that they had grown older, realised the stress and lifestyle were not for them, and wanted to avoid trouble with the police, though some credited positive influences such as sports or creative programmes and trusted adults including teachers, social workers and youth workers.
This was James’s* experience. He was first offered drugs by older children when he was aged 12, and found they helped him cope with family illness, dyslexia and ADHD.
“I remember one day, particularly, and I’ll never ever forget it. They said to me, ‘You smoke all our weed, you drink our alcohol on the weekends, we let you hang around with us, but you’ve never, ever paid for any of this stuff before’,” he recalled.
By 14, James was regularly going missing, selling drugs and living in constant fear. “You start picturing things in your head – that you’re about to die, or someone might run along and shoot you, or you’re about to get kidnapped, or the police come along again,” he said.
He found it difficult to access the support he needed to leave the gang. After being arrested, he said he was “called a liar” by police. “I believed that I was now in this situation and no one was going to help me get out of it,” he said.
When James found the Leaders Unlocked youth charity, he was able to access legal support that enabled him to have his charges dropped. “They exposed me to normal situations and helped me to understand that there are opportunities out there to be successful without going down certain paths,” he said.
YEF highlighted focused deterrence – an intervention that combines swift, proportionate police enforcement with tailored support to address the root causes of violence – as an especially effective potential solution. YEF is undertaking a pilot with the Home Office backed by £8m to explore its application in England, with results expected in 2028.
*Name has been changed
