CYP Now - Call for more youth workers to tackle emerging gangs threat

The pandemic has changed the methods criminal gangs use to exploit children. Experts say the shift is exposing young people from rural and affluent areas to greater risks, who will need the support of 10,000 more youth workers.

Gangs use social media to groom and recruit children in their criminal operations. Picture: Brian/Adobe Stock

Gangs exploiting vulnerable children to carry out criminal activity have adapted their approach during the Covid-19 pandemic creating new risks for young people, campaigners warn.

Despite three national lockdowns and the closure of schools – where gang members have historically targeted children outside of the school gates – young people from both vulnerable and more affluent backgrounds are being increasingly groomed via social media channels, new research from the National Youth Agency (NYA) shows.

Safeguarding experts warn that changes triggered by the pandemic in how gangs operate pose an even greater challenge for police, social workers and youth workers to protect children and young people and requires a collective and creative response from agencies.

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