The Hidden Faces of County Lines: The Growing Danger for Girls
In the latest County Lines police operation over 2,000 people were arrested, resulting in approximately 800 children who needed to be safeguarded.
County Lines is the term used where gangs exploit children and vulnerable young people to traffic drugs across towns, rural areas, and coastal communities. However this exploitation often extends beyond drugs, with harmful exposure to abuse that includes coercive control, sexual exploitation, and serious violence, particularly knife crime. Recognised in 'Keeping children safe in education' (KCSIE) as a thematic topic, all staff in schools and academies should recognise County Lines as a safeguarding risk.
County Lines Gangs Targeting Girls
When we think about County Lines, the mental image is often teenage boys, however a dangerous shift is happening. County Lines gangs are increasingly targeting girls and young women, viewing them as ‘hidden’ assets who are less likely to be stopped by police.
Understanding this exploitation and why girls are being targeted is the first step in protecting those most at risk. The gangs are strategic and actively recruit girls because they often fly under the radar of traditional police profiling.
Girls are often used to transport drugs or cash because they are perceived as appearing less suspicious than their male counterparts. In gang parlance they are ‘Invisible Mules’. Gangs seek out girls with no prior police record to rent properties or cars, or to travel via public transport without drawing attention.
County Lines Link to CSE
Tragically, for many girls, involvement in County Lines is inextricably linked to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). They may be groomed into ‘relationships’ with gang members, only to be coerced into criminal activity later.
The transition into a life in the world of County Lines rarely happens overnight. It usually follows a predatory pattern. The cycle of control begins with grooming where girls are given gifts, money and expensive clothes. Predators often fake intensive loving relationships, promising protection and belonging.
Debt Bondage
Debt Bondage is a common tactic to maintain control over these targeted girls. The gang may fake the lose a drug package or stage a robbery, which results in them blaming and making the girl feel responsible for the loss. Under this illusion, the ‘debt’ is then used to force the girl into more exploitative and dangerous work.
Girls may also be forced to stay in ‘trap houses’, properties used for drug dealing, often in isolated towns far from home. Here, they face high risks of physical violence, sexual assault, and extreme neglect.
Victim Shame and Fear
The greatest opportunity a gang can weaponise is the shame and fear felt by the victim. In the coercive environment associated with County Lines, girls do not see themselves as victims of exploitation. Their involvement in criminal activity, makes them hesitant to seek help.
As gang perpetrators coach the targeted girls to hide their involvement, the warning signs of this abuse are often subtle and more difficult for professionals to identify. Training is essential in order to safeguard effectively however there are common ‘red flags’ which may indicate County Line abuse such as:
- Unexplained possessions, often high value items, for example new clothes, phones, or jewellery;
- Having multiple phones and being secretive about receiving constant calls;
- Unexplained or vague excuses for absences, for example going missing for days or returning home late;
- Disengagement with peers and distancing themselves from long-term friends for new ‘friendships’ with older, unknown individuals;
- Evidence of physical harm, looking unkempt / dishevelled, or signs of drug use.
County Lines involvement does not happen as a result of making ‘bad choices’. Victims are groomed, coerced and often trafficked by professional criminals. Safeguarding and ongoing support to cope with such adverse childhood experiences requires empathy not judgement.
SSS Learning Safeguarding Director
17 March 2026