Recent statistics indicate a growing number of girls being recognized as victims of county lines exploitation. According to data compiled by Catch22, a charity that operates the national county lines support service, females constituted 22% of its casework in 2025, a significant increase from 15% the prior year.
Catch22 is collaborating with the government in efforts to combat this issue as part of its county lines initiative. This program, initiated in 2019 under the Conservative government and continued by Labour, seeks to dismantle gangs that distribute drugs from urban centers to rural areas, often using specific phone lines for coordination. These criminal organizations frequently exploit vulnerable youth, coercing them into transporting drugs and money across the nation.
Despite ongoing efforts, Catch22 expressed concern that a lack of “gendered understanding” within services leads to the underidentification of girls and young women as victims. The charity noted that while approximately half of the boys referred to its county lines service received assistance from the National Referral Mechanism— a government initiative aimed at aiding modern slavery victims—only around one in six girls received similar support.
Marike van Harskamp, Catch22’s head of policy, emphasized the need for a broader perspective on criminal exploitation, stating, “There is a prevalent notion that criminal exploitation and county lines primarily involve boys, which often results in girls not being recognized as victims.”
She elaborated that girls’ involvement in child criminal exploitation and county lines is often more intricate, with overlapping issues contributing to their victimization. A significant factor is the “boyfriend model,” where girls are groomed under the guise of a romantic relationship, leading them into criminal activities—specifically drug transport and financial transactions associated with county lines operations—often without their awareness.
The government reported that law enforcement agencies successfully dismantled a record number of county lines in the previous year. Data revealed that in 2025, authorities closed 2,740 county lines, charged 1,657 gang leaders, and seized 961 knives. An investment exceeding £34 million is planned for the county lines program this year.
“While the achievements are evident in the statistics, much work remains,” van Harskamp noted. “Our services are encountering children as young as seven being groomed. This highlights the necessity of recognizing county lines exploitation as a form of child abuse, forcing minors into activities they should never be involved in, which affects all genders.”
Van Harskamp pointed out that county lines grooming predominantly occurs through social media platforms like Snapchat, with gangs often preying on individuals with various vulnerabilities. “What circumstances in their lives may increase their susceptibility to exploitation?” she inquired. “These can include mental health challenges, substance abuse issues, instability in care arrangements, lack of proper education, or harmful peer relationships.”
She stressed the importance of early risk identification to mitigate long-term mental health impacts caused by such trauma. “As long as mental health issues persist, individuals remain at a heightened risk of being trapped in cycles of exploitation.”
Van Harskamp called for specialized mental health support for victims of exploitation, noting the correlation between poor mental health, disengagement from education, and diminished life opportunities and social mobility.
Detective Superintendent Dan Mitchell, who leads the national county lines coordination center, affirmed that addressing this issue continues to be a top priority for police forces nationwide. “As the tactics of county lines gangs evolve, so too does our policing strategy,” he stated. “We are dedicated to targeting high-harm county lines controlled by violent drug dealers to prevent harm, safeguard children and vulnerable adults, and disrupt criminal operations.”
