Gang Activity and Serious Youth Violence

Defining a gang is difficult. They tend to fall into three categories: Peer Groups, Street Gangs and Organised Crime Groups. It can be common for groups of children and young people to gather together in public places to socialise, and although some Peer Group gatherings can lead to increased antisocial behaviour and low level youth offending, these activities should not be confused with the serious violence of a Street Gang.

A Street Gang is a relatively durable, predominantly street-based group of children who see themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group for whom crime and violence is integral to the group's identity.

A Street Gang will engage in criminal activity and violence and may lay claim over territory (not necessarily geographical for example it could include an illegal economy territory). They have some form of identifying structure featuring a hierarchy usually based on age, physical strength, propensity to violence or older sibling rank. There may be certain rites involving antisocial or criminal behaviour or sex acts in order to become part of the gang. They are in conflict with other similar gangs.

An Organised Criminal Group is a group of individuals normally led by adults for whom involvement in crime is for personal gain (financial or otherwise). This involves serious and organised criminality by members who exploit vulnerable young people and adults. Their activities can also include the movement and selling of drugs and money across the country, known as 'county lines' because it extends across county boundaries. It is a tactic used by groups or gangs to facilitate the selling of drugs in an area outside of the area in which they live, which can reduce their risk of detection. The activity is often coordinated by the use of mobile phones.

Selling drugs across county lines often involves the criminal exploitation of children and young people. Child criminal exploitation, like other forms of abuse and exploitation, is a safeguarding concern and constitutes abuse even if the young person appears to have readily become involved. Child criminal exploitation is typified by some form of power imbalance in favour of those perpetrating the exploitation and usually involves some form of exchange (e.g. carrying drugs in return for something). The exchange can include both tangible (such as money, drugs or clothes) and intangible rewards (such as status, protection or perceived friendship or affection). Young people who are criminally exploited are at a high risk of experiencing violence and intimidation and threats to family members may also be made. Gangs may also target vulnerable adults and take over their premises to distribute Class A drugs in a practice referred to as ‘cuckooing’. (See also Child Exploitation Procedure)

There is a distinction between Organised Crime Groups and Street Gangs based on the level of criminality, organisation, planning and control, however, there are significant links between different levels of gangs. Activity can include Street Gangs being involved in drug dealing on behalf of Organised Criminal Groups and the sexual abuse of girls and boys by Organised Criminal Groups.

Children may be involved in more than one 'gang', with some cross-border movement, and may not stay in a 'gang' for significant periods of time.

Safeguarding should focus on young people who are / vulnerable to becoming involved with gangs, as well as those already involved in gangs. Practitioners should be aware of particular risks to young people involved in gangs including from violence and weapons, drugs and sexual exploitation.

The risk or potential risk of harm to the child may be as a victim, a perpetrator or both - in relation to their peers or they may live in a household with a gang involved adult. Teenagers can be particularly vulnerable to recruitment into gangs and involvement in gang violence. This vulnerability may be exacerbated by risk factors in an individual's background, including violence in the family, involvement of siblings in gangs, poor educational attainment, or mental health problems.

A child who is affected by gang activity or serious youth violence can be at risk of significant harm through physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Girls and boys may be particularly at risk of sexual exploitation.

Violence is a way for gang members to gain recognition and respect by asserting their power and authority in the street, with a large proportion of street crime perpetrated against members of other gangs or the relatives of gang members.

The specific risks for males and females may be quite different. There is a higher risk of sexual abuse for females, and they are more likely to have been coerced into involvement with a gang through peer pressure than their male counterparts. However practitioners must bear in mind that boys and young men are also vulnerable to this type of abuse.

There is evidence of a high incidence of rape of girls who are involved with gangs. Some senior gang members pass their girlfriends around to lower ranking members and sometimes to the whole group at the same time. Very few rapes by gang members are reported. Boys and young men are less likely to report rape or sexual abuse due to factors such as (but not limited to) stigma, fear of not being believed, shame, embarrassment, homophobia.

Gang members often groom girls at school using drugs and alcohol, which act as disinhibitors and also create dependency, and encourage / coerce them to recruit other girls through school / social networks.

• Child withdrawn from family;
• Sudden loss of interest in school or change in behaviour. Decline in attendance or academic achievement (although it should be noted that some gang members will maintain a good attendance record to avoid coming to notice);
• Being emotionally 'switched off', but also containing frustration / rage;
• Starting to use new or unknown slang words;
• Holding unexplained money or possessions;
• Staying out unusually late without reason, or breaking parental rules consistently;
• Sudden change in appearance - dressing in a particular style or 'uniform' similar to that of other young people they hang around with, including a particular colour;
• Dropping out of positive activities;
• New nickname;
• Unexplained physical injuries, and/or refusal to seek / receive medical treatment for injuries;
• Graffiti style 'tags' on possessions, school books, walls;
• Constantly talking about another young person who seems to have a lot of influence over them;
• Breaking off with old friends and hanging around with one group of people;
• Associating with known or suspected gang members, closeness to siblings or adults in the family who are gang members;
• Starting to adopt certain codes of group behaviour e.g. ways of talking and hand signs;
• Going missing;
• Being found by Police in towns or cities many miles from their home;
• Being in possession of large amounts of cash / additional mobile phones;
• Expressing aggressive or intimidating views towards other groups of young people, some of whom may have been friends in the past;
• Being scared when entering certain areas; and
• Concerned by the presence of unknown youths in their neighbourhoods.

An important feature of gang involvement is that, the more heavily a child is involved with a gang, the less likely they are to talk about it.

There are links between gang-involvement and young people going missing from home or care. Some of the factors which can draw gang-involved young people away from home or care into going missing can come through the drugs markets and 'drugs lines' activity. There may be gang-associated child sexual exploitation and relationships which can be strong pull factors for girls and boys. Exploitation is at the heart of this activity, with overt coercion taking place alongside the pull factors of money, status, affection and belonging.

In suspected cases of radicalisation, social workers and local authorities are under a duty to refer the case to the local Channel panel, which will then decide the correct, if any, intervention and support to be offered to that individual.

Any agency or practitioner who has concerns that a child may be at risk of harm as a consequence of gang activity or county lines exploitation should contact Children's Social Care or the Police for the area in which the child is currently located. The Referrals Procedure should be followed. The Early Help Assessment or Common Assessment Framework (CAF) may be crucial in the early identification of children and young people who need additional support due to risk of involvement in gang activity.

Support and interventions should be proportionate, rational and based on the child's needs identified during the assessment.

An Assessment should be led by a qualified social worker and evidence and information sharing across all relevant agencies will be key. It may be appropriate for the social worker to be embedded in or work closely with, a team, which has access to 'real time' gang intelligence in order to undertake a reliable assessment. 

Practitioners should be aware that children who are Looked After by the local authority can be particularly vulnerable to becoming involved in gangs. There may be a need to review their Care Plan in light of the assessment and to provide additional support.

Where there are concerns about a child or young person being criminally exploited (for example If a young person is arrested for drugs offences away from home in an area where they have no local connections and with no obvious means of getting home) the Police and Children’s Social Care, from the first point of contact with the young person, should consider whether they are victims of child criminal exploitation or trafficking and pursue a safeguarding, rather than criminal justice, response. A referral to the National Referral Mechanism should be considered.

Children are often fearful of ending their contact with the gang because it might leave them vulnerable to reprisals from those former gang members and rival gang members who may see the young person as without protection. Occasionally if there is a possible "threat to life", it may result in the Police issuing an Osman Warning. In these circumstances this should trigger an automatic referral by the Police to Children's Social Care, (see the Referrals Procedure) the initiation of a Strategy Discussion and consideration of the need for immediate safeguarding action, unless to do so would place the child at greater risk.

In these cases, the decision not to refer should be actively reviewed to allow a referral to Children's Social Care to be made at an appropriate stage in order to protect the young person's safety.

Information and local knowledge about the specific gang should be shared, including the use, or suspected use, of weapons or drug dealing. There should also be consideration of possible risk to members of the child's family and other children in the community.

Unless there are indications that parental involvement would risk further harm to the child, parents should be involved as early as possible where there are concerns about gang activity.

Where there are concerns about a child or young person being criminally exploited (for example if a young person is arrested for drugs offences away from home in an area where they have no local connections) the Police and Children's Social Care should consider whether they are victims of child criminal exploitation or trafficking and offer a safeguarding, rather than criminal justice, response.

CPS Guidance on Victims of Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Smuggling aims to identify victims of modern slavery, human trafficking and smuggling at an earlier point in criminal investigations and before charging decisions are made by the CPS. The aims is to increase the number of prosecutions of criminals exploiting modern slaves, whilst safeguarding against the criminalising of trafficked victims. The Guidance also sets out practical support for victims and witnesses, including: the ability to run victimless prosecutions so that they do not need to give evidence in court; other special measure to support trafficked victims, such as the use of virtual recorded interviews which can be played in court; video links for victims who have chosen to return to their home countries so that they can still give evidence if needed.

Children involved in gangs may be known to other services as a result of offending behaviour or school exclusion.

Common issues faced by girls and young women involved with gangs include domestic violence, sexual violence, drug and alcohol misuse, school exclusion and going missing from home.

Children may often be at the periphery of involvement for some time before they become active gang members. Children may also follow older siblings into gang involvement. This may provide opportunities for preventative work to be undertaken with children.

Legislation, Statutory Guidance and Government Non-Statutory Guidance

Reducing Knife, Gun and Gang Crime

Injunctions to Prevent Gang-Related Violence and Drug Dealing (Home Office)

Knife Crime Prevention Orders Practitioners' Guidance and Framework Guidance

Serious Violence Duty - Preventing and Reducing Serious Violence: Statutory Guidance for Responsible Authorities

Useful Websites

The Centre for Social Justice: Girls and Gangs

Preventing Gang and Youth Violence: Spotting Signals of Risk and Supporting Children and Young People

County Lines Drug Supply, Vulnerability and Harm 2018

Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence (Catch 22)