Dr Laura WoodCounty Lines refers to a model of criminal offending that involves gangs and organised criminal networks moving drugs (such as heroin, cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, cannabis and spice(1)) into one or more supply areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines (known as deal lines or trap lines) to take orders. An estimated 1,000 county lines (and far more individual deal lines) operate within the UK, making a combined profit of over 800 million pounds per year(2). County Lines is also connected to the abuse of technology and the internet to groom, manipulate and exploit victims.
County Lines is a dangerous, complex and multi-layered health and public health problem, which the UK continues to struggle to address at all levels of prevention, intervention and survivor care. Driven significantly by profit demands of perpetrators, the County Lines model includes multiple forms of human exploitation, trafficking, abuse and violence (psychological, physical and sexual), particularly of children, adolescents and vulnerable adults. Once an individual has been groomed, ‘hooked’ and ‘trapped’ by County Lines gangs (which can occur very rapidly), it can be extremely difficult to leave. Individuals may be blinded to their own exploitation and be deliberately distanced from sources of help, loving family members and friends. Exploitation victims may have powerful trauma and shame responses from their experiences which cause withdrawal from help and a sense that they cannot leave the gang or be ‘normal’ again. Debt bondage and threats against themselves, friends and family members are very real and may feel too overwhelming to deal with. Many victims and their families are also too fearful or mistrusting of the police and social services to reach out, leaving them very alone in their distress.
It is not only the individuals within or exploited by gangs at significant risk of harm. County Lines affects the health and wellbeing of large numbers of people and society as a whole, cutting across boundaries of age, gender, social status, background and nationality. A health lens must also consider the impacts of illicit drug use itself on mental, physical, social and relational health, and the snaring of vulnerable individuals and communities (including those who are impoverished, homeless and/or with mental health problems). The impact of County Lines on the families of exploited individuals, perpetrators (who may be victims themselves) and drug users may be devastating with far reaching impacts on health and wellbeing.
Understandings of County Lines are plagued with problematic stereotypes, including false beliefs that victims have a free choice to comply with county lines demands (children can NEVER consent to their own exploitation) and about how victims should look or behave. Our services are often too quick to judge the aggressive teen as ‘bad’ rather than exploited and demonstrating adaptive, survival behaviour in a threatening environment. A lack of trauma-informed responses have repeatedly led to children, vulnerable adults and their families being shamed, blamed, negatively labelled or dismissed instead of receiving the listening ear and support they need.
Thankfully, a growing number of individuals and organisations (including VITA Training and VITA Network) continue to work together to build our understanding of the dynamic world of County Lines. More work is needed to effectively bridge the knowledge-practice gap to ensure that ALL children and their families are protected, and ALL survivors and their families receive effective trauma-informed care. To learn more about County Lines, look out for our upcoming blog by AFRUCA‘s Janete Seide in July. We also highly recommend you follow SPACE (Stop and Prevent Adolescent Criminal Exploitation) on Twitter @bespaceaware (an organisation that works closely with affected families) and look out for online information, webinars and national campaigns led by leading charities and authorities across the UK.
Examples of County Lines slang (note local terms can change frequently)(3) ‘Going country / cunch’ = county lines activity, or travelling to sell illicit drugs.‘Cuckooing’= taking over the home of a vulnerable person by intimidation or force, to use as a base to manufacture and/or sale of drugs. ‘Trap House’ = A house (often owned by an adult drug user) used as a base to sell drugs. ‘Plugging’ = inserting items for transport (ie drugs / money) into the body, usually into the rectum or vagina (i.e. wrapped drugs placed within the plastic centre of a kinder egg and inserted into the rectum during transportation). ‘Elders’ = older members of the gang, with more responsibility over operations, money, drugs & weapons. ‘Youngers’ = often under 18 years, may be involved with drug transport, deals and weapons. ‘Teenies’ = often younger than 10 years (below criminal responsibility) who may be used to transport drugs or weapons for older members.
References
1. County Lines – Fearless [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 11]. Available from: https://www.fearless.org/en/campaigns/county-lines
2. County Lines exploitation: applying All Our Health – GOV.UK [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 11]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/county-lines-exploitation-applying-all-our-health/county-lines-exploitation-applying-all-our-health
3. County lines slang – Parents Against Child Exploitation (Pace) UK [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 11]. Available from: https://paceuk.info/criminal-exploitation/county-lines-slang/