Tips for protecting young people from criminal exploitation

The more you talk to your child – about anything! – the easier it will be for them to come to you if they’re worried about something. So try to set aside time regularly to chat to them and ask them how they’re feeling. 

It may be easier to have this chat while you’re doing something else, like going for a walk, driving in the car or preparing a meal. You could also try asking open questions they can’t shut down with a simple yes or no. So for example instead of asking them if they’re okay, you could ask them how they feel about school, their friends or anything else you think might be bothering them. 

Our pages on encouraging your child to confide in you and talking and listening to your teen have advice to help you have open and honest conversations with your child or teen.

It’s important for young people to learn to become independent, and for you to show that you trust them. But research shows that if young people think their parents know where they are, they’re more likely to make better choices. So when they’re old enough to start going out without you, try to come to an agreement that they will always let you know where they’re going and when they’ll be back.

For young people, the online world is just as real as the offline world. So it’s important to ask them about what they’re doing online in the same way you chat to them about what they get up to at school or when they’re out with their friends. Our pages on talking to your child about online safety and online safety for teens have more advice to help with this.

If you’re worried about your child or teen, try to stay calm when you talk to them. They’re more likely to be honest with you if they think you won’t get angry. It may be hard to keep calm if your child tells you something distressing, but try your best, and talk to a friend or family member afterwards to help you work through your emotions.

We have tips for keeping calm here. You can find organisations offering help and support if you’re worried about criminal exploitation here.

You don’t want to scare your child, but it’s important that they know how dangerous it can be to get involved in gang culture and criminal activity. There’s a risk of being hurt, abused, trafficked or even killed. By joining a gang, a child may put their family and friends in danger. They may be arrested, and it may seriously affect their future.

To make sure you know the facts, you can read about criminal exploitation on the NSPCC and Barnardo’s websites.

Childline has information and advice about gangs that you could look at together. 

It’s a good idea to talk to your child about how, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. For example, if they’re offered money or gifts by a stranger or someone outside their immediate circle of family and friends, there may be strings attached. 

If an adult asks them to keep something secret, or tells them that they are the only person that understands them, these are also red flags.

You can find out more about the signs of grooming on the Childline website.

Young people often get involved in gangs because they feel that they’re not ‘enough’ by themselves. By helping your child feel more sure of themselves, you can help them find the confidence to stand up to peer pressure and do their own thing. Our pages on helping with self-esteem and dealing with peer pressure have more advice.

Taking part in an activity they enjoy (like sport, dance, music, art or volunteering) is a great way for young people to build up their confidence. Activities also give them a way to make new friends and are something fun to focus on outside of school. But often they give up these activities in their teens. 

So try to encourage your teen to keep up with activities they enjoy, or to take up new hobbies to replace the ones they’re dropping. Our page on things to do for teens has ideas for new things they could try if they’ve lost interest in the things they did when they were younger. 

If children and young people find themselves in a difficult or dangerous situation, they may not tell anyone about it in case they get into trouble. They may feel embarrassed or ashamed, or worry that something bad will happen to them, or to their family. Exploiters take advantage of this to control them. So it’s really important that your child knows that they can always come to you, no matter what, and that you will believe them, not blame them, and help and support them. 

It’s also good to let them know that there are other adults they can turn to if they don’t want to talk to mum or dad. This could be a relative, a family friend, a teacher or a youth worker – anyone they feel safe and comfortable with. 

You could also remind them that they can always contact Childline or Safecall for free, confidential advice.

Having a plan for their future may help your child or teen stay away from gang influences. For example, you could talk to them about whether they want to carry on studying or start an apprenticeship. There’s lots of information for you both to look at on our page on exam results and the future.