Street gangs and coercive control: The gendered exploitation of young women and girls in county lines

Havard, Tirion Elizabeth; Densley, James A.; Whittaker, Andrew S.; Wills, Jane

doi:10.1177/17488958211051513

Cited by 16 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…The money that comes with CLG work is undoubtedly a huge driving factor for young people’s associations. However, practitioners suggested that while the initial money looks tempting to an impoverished young person, once enticed they are hugely exploited and in some instances, entrapped with the use of debt bondage (Havard et al , 2021). This happens when a young person is purposefully set up to be robbed by the gang that they are supplying drugs for, only then to be forced to work off the cost of the lost goods, plus interest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers experienced with multi-agency responses to county line gangs: a focus group study

Neaverson

Lake²

2023

JCS

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Purpose This study aims to create a platform for frontline practitioners to share experiences, express opinions and forge new ideas for effective multi-agency work when responding to child exploitation by county line gangs (CLGs). Design/methodology/approach CLGs are grooming children as young as age 7. The need for effective multi-agency responses to grooming by CLGs is a key priority for prevention. Using findings from focus groups held with 13 youth practitioners, school staff and charities, this article highlights the barriers that multi-agency frontline practitioners face when they are tasked with responding to instances of child criminal exploitation by CLGs. Findings Discussions within the focus groups indicate there are many common barriers and driving factors with regards to young people being successfully groomed by a CLG. More specifically, findings from this research identified school exclusions and a lack of prosocial sense of belonging to be a driving factor that exacerbated the risk of being successfully groomed by a CLG. Lack of a significant adult relationship was also found to be a barrier to successful multi-agency intervention, which was attributed to the lack of funding and resources required for adequate staffing needed to build meaningful relationships. Originality/value This study offered the unique opportunity for practitioners from various different sectors and jurisdictions to share their experiences of not only working with young people involved in CLGs, but also their challenges when using a multi-agency approach. These discussions are particularly important in the case of CLGs due to the cross-jurisdiction nature of the gangs’ activities. This research has identified issues with multi-agency responses to CLGs and offers recommendations for improvement. Identifying and understanding the barriers that practitioners face when responding to CLGs can allow for the development and implementation of various measures, which will aid the safeguarding of vulnerable victims of exploitation by CLGs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers experienced with multi-agency responses to county line gangs: a focus group study

Neaverson

Lake²

2023

JCS

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“…Victim-survivors may be in relationships with men who, because of their associations with other men, are extremely powerful and well-resourced. These women are facing coercion not just from one abusive man but from patriarchal collectives of men (Havard et al, 2023) that may even permeate the systems of law enforcement.…”

Section: Entrapment: Including the Broader Social Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Intimate Partner Violence: Why Coercive Control Requires a Social and Systemic Entrapment Framework

Tolmie,

Smith,

Wilson

2023

Violence Against Women

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How intimate partner violence (IPV) is conceptualized affects what we see when we look at situations involving IPV and what we think the solutions to the problem of IPV are—either in individual cases or in the development of broader legal and policy responses. In this article, it is suggested that while conceptualizing IPV as coercive control is an improvement over previous understandings, it does not go far enough. Coercive control must be located within a broader conceptualization of IPV as a form of social and systemic entrapment if it is not to operate in a harmful manner for victim-survivors.

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“…In comparison to male gang members, female gang members are known to display higher rates of delinquency (Deuchar et al 2020;Peterson et al 2001). This may be a product of females falling victim to peer influence (Deuchar et al 2020) or the threat of abuse or victimization (Harding 2014;Havard et al 2021).…”

Section: Gender Differences and Gangsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caregiver Type and Gang Involvement: A Comparison of Female and Male Gang Members

Scott,

Goulette

2023

Social Sciences

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Gang involvement and delinquency are prominent issues frequently examined in criminal justice scholarship. Research has revealed that gang involvement increases the likelihood of delinquency/crime, and that youth participate in gangs for a variety of reasons including protection, status, and a sense of belonging. Although research has found that various social and familial factors increase the probability of gang involvement, it primarily focuses on males, and little work has compared how a youth’s primary caregiver influences the likelihood of gang involvement among both male and female gang members. The current study uses school level data to examine gang involvement and primary caregiver type among male and female youth. The results identify significant differences in gang involvement among boys and girls when examining primary caretaker. The findings have implications for theory and programming in connection with youth gang involvement for both boys and girls.

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Street gangs and coercive control: The gendered exploitation of young women and girls in county lines

Cited by 16 publications

References 72 publications

Barriers experienced with multi-agency responses to county line gangs: a focus group study

Barriers experienced with multi-agency responses to county line gangs: a focus group study

Understanding Intimate Partner Violence: Why Coercive Control Requires a Social and Systemic Entrapment Framework

Caregiver Type and Gang Involvement: A Comparison of Female and Male Gang Members

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