Criminal Exploitation Of Children Rises By 55 Per Cent In Two Years, Data Suggests
3 min read
Cases of child criminal exploitation have increased sharply in the last two years, a new analysis shared with PoliticsHome shows.
The Centre for Young Lives has found that children were identified by social services as victims of criminal or sexual exploitation or being involved in gangs almost 40,000 times over the last year.
According to the organisation, the Department for Education (DfE) figures "are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg", with many victims never identified by children’s services, or referred to them.
Child criminal exploitation — when an individual uses a child to commit crimes for them — was recorded by social workers 15,750 times in 2024. This is up from 10,140 in 2022, and a further rise from the 14,420 recorded last year. This means case numbers have risen by around 55 per cent on two years ago.
The Centre for Young Lives said that children are being left more vulnerable to exploitation when they are out of school. Severe pupil absence and suspensions have risen since the Covid pandemic.
Anne Longfield, Centre for Young Lives Chief Executive and former children's commissioner, told PoliticsHome that those who exploit children "are relentlessly looking to grow business and are very adept at finding sophisticated ways of grooming children through social media".
Some regions saw a larger increase in child exploitation.
The analysis showed that there has been a 141 per cent increase in instances where child criminal exploitation was identified in referrals to social workers in the East Midlands between 2022 and 2024. London saw an increase of 109 per cent in the same period.
“We should be shocked that over a hundred times a day, a child in England is assessed by social workers as being exploited or in gangs – a number that is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg," she said.
“Knife crime, county lines exploitation, and gang activity is a scourge on many childhoods. Thousands of vulnerable children are continuing to fall through the gaps because of a lack of early help and family support. Some will never be referred to social services and go under the radar entirely."
Longfield added that the rollout of the Government's Young Futures projects and the introduction of a Child Criminal Exploitation offence "cannot come soon enough".
In this year’s King's Speech, the Labour Government announced a commitment to introduce a Young Futures programme to protect vulnerable children at risk of exploitation or involvement in serious violence.
The DfE data analysed by the Centre for Young Lives also revealed that there were nearly 400,000 children in need in England in 2024 — equivalent to around one in every 30 children. Children in need are a legally defined group of children assessed as needing help and protection because of risks to their development or health.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are determined to stop evil criminal gangs from exploiting and luring young people into crime and drugs.
“The Government has committed to introducing a new offence to tackle child criminal exploitation and our Young Futures programme will bring local services together to deliver support for young people in their communities."
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