Worried where my child is getting money from

29 December 2025

What is child exploitation?

Child criminal exploitation (CCE) is a growing issue in the UK. CCE is when a young person is targeted to carry out criminal activities such as drug running in the local area and further afield. Perpetrators of CCE will coerce, control, manipulate and deceive the child to carry out criminal activities such as moving drugs in the local area or further afield on their behalf.

Children who are being exploited often do not see themselves as victims due to the coercive nature of the relationship. It is important to remember that exploitation is not the child’s fault. Abusers are very clever in the way they manipulate young people.

Warning signs that a child is being exploited:

• Increasingly disruptive or aggressive behaviour
• Changes in appearance; the clothes they wear, attention to hygiene, etc
• Changes in the way they speak i.e using sexual, drug-related or violent language
• Skipping school
• Returning home late or overnight
• Being found in areas away from home
• Unexplained new possessions such as clothes, jewellery, phones, unexplained money etc
• Unexplained loss of possessions / cash
• Being secretive about who they are talking to and where they are going
• Inappropriate sexualised behaviour
• New friendship with people outside of their usual social circles or, relationships with older adults
• Becoming withdrawn or isolated, poor mental health/self-harm etc.
• Lots of time spent on social media talking to ‘friends’ they haven’t met or that you don’t know.
• Unexplained injuries or, returning home dishevelled
• They own a second mobile phone from which they are receiving a high volume of calls or need to leave urgently after receiving a text/call

Circumstances which may make a child or young person vulnerable to exploitation:

• Experiencing abuse at home including witnessing domestic abuse
• Being involved in antisocial behaviour
• Poor mental health
• Regularly missing from home
• Connections with other vulnerable young people who are known to be exploited or go missing
• Having a learning disability or Special Educational Need