# What is child criminal exploitation, and what should schools do about county lines?

Source page: https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/cce  
Last updated: 2026-10-20  
Publisher: Pupil Protect (Glacier Labs Ltd)

> Child criminal exploitation (CCE) is when a person or group uses an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into crime, such as moving drugs or money for a county lines network. Keeping children safe in education 2026 says exploited children must be treated as victims (paragraph 40), and that a child protection referral and a modern slavery referral should be made when a potential victim is identified (paragraph 38). The Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates a specific CCE offence and CCE prevention orders, but when we checked on 20 October 2026 they were not yet in force in England and Wales.

## What it is

Keeping children safe in education 2026 covers child criminal exploitation (CCE) in Part one, which all staff read, and in more detail in Annex A.

- **Definition.** CCE and child sexual exploitation both happen where a person or group uses "an imbalance in power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child" into criminal or sexual activity. It may be in exchange for something the child needs or wants, for the exploiter's gain or status, or through violence or threats. It can be committed by an organised network or gang, and the child may see themselves as part of the group (paragraph 38).
- **Forms.** Transporting drugs or money through county lines, working in cannabis factories, shoplifting, pickpocketing, vehicle crime, and committing or threatening serious violence (paragraph 39).
- **How children get trapped.** Threats against them and their families, and debt, sometimes deliberately manufactured. Children may be made to carry knives, or start carrying one for protection (paragraph 40).
- **Victims, not offenders.** Children who are criminally exploited "should be treated as victims". A child can't consent to being exploited and may not recognise that it is happening (paragraph 40).
- **Girls.** Girls are exploited too, their experience can look different, and both boys and girls who are criminally exploited may be at higher risk of sexual exploitation (paragraph 41).

**County lines** is the best-known form. KCSIE's Annex A describes gangs and organised criminal networks exporting drugs using "dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of 'deal line'". It can be local or national, and children are increasingly recruited online through social media. The Home Office county lines guidance says 15 to 17 year olds make up the majority of those involved, but children of primary school age are also targeted.

## The signs

KCSIE Annex A lists indicators of both criminal and sexual exploitation, where children:

- have unexplained gifts, money or new possessions
- associate with other children involved in exploitation
- show changes in emotional wellbeing
- misuse alcohol or drugs
- go missing for periods, or regularly come home late
- regularly miss school or don't take part in education

For county lines, it adds children who:

- go missing and are found in areas away from home
- have been a victim or perpetrator of serious violence, such as knife crime
- receive requests for drugs on a phone line, or move drugs and money
- are exposed to "plugging", hiding drugs inside the body
- are found in a "trap house", a hotel room, or a home taken over by dealers ("cuckooing")
- owe a "debt bond" to their exploiters
- have their bank accounts used for drug money

The Home Office county lines guidance adds unexplained money, clothes or phones, lots of texts and calls or more than one handset or SIM card, exclusion, a sudden drop in attendance or results, and self-harm or changes in behaviour. KCSIE warns that children with disrupted education, such as suspensions, exclusions or time in alternative provision, are at higher risk of serious violence (paragraph 52).

## The new law: Crime and Policing Act 2026

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Part 4 creates:

| Provision | What it does | In force in England and Wales? |
|---|---|---|
| Section 48: child criminal exploitation offence | An adult commits an offence if they engage in conduct towards a child intending to cause the child to commit a crime, now or in future. It doesn't matter whether they knew the child was under 18. Maximum 10 years. | **No** |
| Sections 50 to 64: CCE prevention orders | Civil orders, including interim orders, against adults to stop them exploiting children. Breach is an offence. | **No**, except a definition in section 50 (21 September 2026) |
| Section 65: cuckooing | Taking control of someone else's home to use it for crimes such as drug dealing. Maximum 5 years. | **No** |
| Section 68: internal concealment | Causing a child to hide drugs, phones, cash, weapons or other items inside their body for a criminal purpose. | Only for making regulations |

*Checked against legislation.gov.uk and the four commencement regulations made so far (SI 2026/689, 939, 960 and 1090) on 20 October 2026.* The rest of these provisions will start on dates set by future regulations. The Act also gives the Home Office power to issue guidance to the police on these offences and orders (section 69).

Searches often mention CCE "warning notices". The Act as passed doesn't contain them; the civil measure it creates is the CCE prevention order.

None of this changes what a school does today. KCSIE 2026 and local safeguarding procedures still apply, and exploiters can already be prosecuted under existing law, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

## What the DSL does

1. **Treat it as child protection.** Where a child may be criminally exploited, follow your child protection procedures and refer to children's social care. If a child is in immediate danger, or a crime may have been committed, call the police (KCSIE Annex B).
2. **Raise the modern slavery question.** KCSIE says a child protection referral and a modern slavery referral should be completed for a potential victim (paragraph 38). Schools aren't First Responder Organisations for the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), but local authorities and the police are. Ask social care or the police to make the NRM referral, and record that you asked. Children don't need to consent to enter the NRM (Modern Slavery statutory guidance, paragraph 5.37).
3. **Plan for school.** KCSIE says exploited children "will need additional support to help keep them in education" (Annex A). Avoid exclusion without a plan: time out of school is a known risk. See [part-time timetables](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/part-time-timetable).
4. **Assess risk to others.** If a pupil may be carrying a weapon, the DSL should assess the risk to the pupil and others, and put a safety and support plan in place (paragraph 51).
5. **Look wider.** Think about siblings, friendship groups and places. Exploitation often involves several children; see [contextual safeguarding](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/contextual-safeguarding).
6. **Share what you know** about places, times and people with partners, through your local exploitation arrangements and the [serious violence duty](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/serious-violence) partnership.

For help, KCSIE lists The Children's Society County Lines Toolkit for Professionals, Missing People's SafeCall service, and Catch22's County Lines Support and Rescue service (Annex A).

## Questions

**What is child criminal exploitation?**  
KCSIE 2026 describes it as abuse where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into criminal activity, sometimes in exchange for something the child wants, or through violence or threats (paragraph 38). Examples include moving drugs or money through county lines, working in cannabis factories, shoplifting, pickpocketing, vehicle crime and committing or threatening violence (paragraph 39).

**What is county lines?**  
KCSIE 2026 describes county lines as gangs and organised criminal networks exporting illegal drugs using dedicated mobile phone lines or another form of 'deal line'. Children and vulnerable adults are exploited to move, store and sell drugs and money. It can happen locally as well as across the country, and no particular distance of travel is needed.

**Is child criminal exploitation a crime?**  
The Crime and Policing Act 2026, section 48, creates a specific offence of child criminal exploitation for adults who engage in conduct towards a child intending to cause the child to commit a crime, with a maximum sentence of 10 years. When we checked legislation.gov.uk on 20 October 2026, section 48 had not been brought into force in England and Wales. Exploiters can still be prosecuted under existing law, such as the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

**What is a child criminal exploitation prevention order?**  
A civil order under sections 50 to 64 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 that a court can make against an adult to stop them, or make it less likely, that they criminally exploit children. It can impose prohibitions and requirements, and breaching it is an offence. As of 20 October 2026 only a minor definitional part had been commenced, so the orders were not yet available.

**What is county lines in early years?**  
Very young children aren't usually recruited, but the Home Office guidance says children of primary school age are known to be targeted, and older siblings who are exploited can bring risk into the home. Working Together 2026 warns that younger brothers and sisters of exploited children may be targeted too. Early years staff should share any concern about a family, a home being used by others, or an older sibling with their DSL.

## Sources

- [Keeping children safe in education 2026 (DfE, in force from 1 September 2026): paragraphs 18, 21, 30, 38 to 41 and 51 to 54, and Annex A, Child criminal exploitation, County lines, and Modern slavery and the National Referral Mechanism](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ac3c09c11ed58342ad8e4ac/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2026.pdf), checked 2026-10-20
- [Crime and Policing Act 2026, Part 4: criminal exploitation of children and others, sections 48 to 71 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/20/part/4), checked 2026-10-20
- [Crime and Policing Act 2026, section 255 (commencement), and Commencement Regulations No. 1 to 4 (SI 2026/689, 939, 960 and 1090)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/20/section/255), checked 2026-10-20
- [Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: county lines (Home Office, updated October 2023)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-exploitation-of-children-and-vulnerable-adults-county-lines), checked 2026-10-20
- [Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 (DfE): paragraphs 216 to 223, harm outside the home](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69fb1c28d0e316a40f269a5b/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2026_a_guide_to_multi_agency_working.pdf), checked 2026-10-20
- [Modern Slavery: statutory guidance for England and Wales, under section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Home Office, updated 15 October 2026), paragraphs 4.2 to 4.11 and 5.37](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-how-to-identify-and-support-victims), checked 2026-10-20

## Related

- [Contextual safeguarding](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/contextual-safeguarding): Working on the places and groups where exploitation happens, not only the child.
- [Serious violence duty in schools](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/serious-violence)
- [How to make a safeguarding referral](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/guides/how-to-make-a-safeguarding-referral)
- [Persistent and severe absence](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/persistent-absence)
- [Safeguarding concern form](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/tools/safeguarding-concern-form)
- [Safeguarding and DSL jobs](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/jobs/role/safeguarding)

## In Pupil Protect

Pupil Protect Safeguard keeps attendance from your MIS on each child's chronology. It flags persistent absence, severe absence, a sudden drop, a pattern such as the same weekday, and 10 school days in a row of unexplained absence to the DSL team, next to any concerns about the child. [See attendance in Safeguard](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/safeguard#attendance)