Preventing and Safeguarding Against the Risk of Street Based Violence, County Lines and Gangs Training

Question 1

Who do gangs target?

Answer 1

Vulnerable Children & Adults

Question 2

How many 10-17 year olds know gang members?

Answer 2

313,000

Question 3

How many gangs members can ONS identify?

Answer 3

27,000

Question 4

How many gang members can local authorities identify?

Answer 4

6,560

Question 5

Family-level characteristics putting children more at risk of joining gangs

Answer 5

-Domestic Violence
-Unstable housing
-Neglect or abuse
-Substance or alcohol misues

Question 6

Children-level characteristics putting children more at risk of joining gangs

Answer 6

-Being SEN
-Mental Health
-Bullying
-Exclusion from School
-Being denied CAMHS

Question 7

Highest-Risk Children

Answer 7

Poor Institution Response (Schools don’t correctly identify vulnerable child)

Question 8

Risk factors for Gangs Domains

Answer 8

Individual, Family, School, Peer group, Community

Question 9

Simon Halls & Tara Young Gang definition (2005)

Answer 9

“PEER GROUP” - a small unorganized group of children…

“A STREET GANG” - A relatively durable predominantly street-based group of young people who see themselves (and are seen by others) as a group for whom crime and violence is integral to the group’s identity (OCG)

“AN ORGANISED CRIMINAL NETWORK” - A group of individuals, for whom involvement in crime is for personal gain. the gain is mostly measured in financial terms. Crime is their occupation.

Question 10

How many gangs do you think exist in London? (2019)

Answer 10

180 (with appropriately 3000 individuals)

Question 11

Gang Structure - Lower tier

Answer 11

‘youngers’/recruits/soilders/earning stripes essentially front line staff

Question 12

Gang structure - Mid tier

Answer 12

Generals, reppers, elders. Basically supervisors

Question 13

Gang Structure - High level

Answer 13

Leader. Basically founders/managers

Question 14

Gang Structure - Outer Group

Answer 14

Peer Group/Affiliation/Association.
Essentially cadets, not in the gang but may know members.

Question 15

How to take down a Gang?

Answer 15

Removing the leader doesn’t work, they get replaced.
Remove the lower tier, without the front line the gang cannot operate.

Question 16

Psychological hooks to join gangs

Answer 16

-Support
-Financial Gain
-Sense of worth
-Sense of identity/they lack identity
-Sense of belonging
-Peer pressure/exploited
-Reputation
-Protection
-They are recruited
-Do they even see themselves in a gang at all?
-Opportunist involvement
-Family/Friends involved.
-Desire for excitement and adventure

Question 17

Key factors about gangs

Answer 17

Common:
-Goal
-enemy
-Community
-Need

Gangs are symmetrical (victims, offenders and enforcement share similar factors), Repetitive (same group reoccurs), Embedded (short lived) and rapid increase (gangs are moving to previously unaffected areas.

Question 18

Gangs groom through

Answer 18

1) TARGET STAGE
-Observing the young person, befriending, developing trust
2) FRIENDSHIP AFFIRMING STAGE
-Try to make young person feel special, giving gifts, asking to keep secrets, offer protection.
3) LOVING RELATIONSHIP STAGE
-Engage the young person in gang activity, short stage, being inconsistent?
4) ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP STAGE
-Threatening behaivour, physical violence, sexual assault, kick them out and replace

Question 19

County Lines

Answer 19

Urban gangs supplying drugs to suburban areas, market and coastal towns, using dedicated mobile phone lines or “deal lines”

Question 20

County Lines Gang Indicators

Answer 20

Children may be seen
-avoiding BTP
-maybe seen with older individuals giving them money to pay for tickets
-Don’t have a local accent and don’t know the area.
-Will be on travelling on trains
-Will disappear
-Unexplained cash, designer clothing, multiple phones etc.
-Unexplained injuries (initiation)
-List goes on

Question 21

Gangs SAFEGUARD

Answer 21

Sexual health/exploitation and behaviour
Absent from school/home/care
Familial abuse/problems at home
Emotional/physical concerns
Gangs/older aged friends/invovlement in crime
Use of technology - mobiles/online activity/e-safety
Alcohol/Drug Misuse
R
D

Question 22

Modern Day Slavery and County Lines Co-Exist

Answer 22

More British nationals commit offences involving modern-day slavery rather than foreign nationals (which the legislation was created for)

Question 23

Barriers to Disclosure (gangs)

Answer 23

Young men are less likely to report themselves as being exploited. They don’t…
-Don’t see self/don’t want to see self as a victim.
-Don’t want to criminalise self
-Fear of being labelled
-Cultural stigma
-General distrust of police/ professional services SERVICES
-Fear of ridicule