Donate to Drawing the Line

Your donation today funds the support for victims of criminal exploitation and enhances the ways we help those in need.

At Catch22, we work every day to break the cycle of exploitation. With your support, we can:

• get children out of immediate danger and into safety,
• provide specialist recovery support, including mental health care and services tailored for girls, and
• campaign for systemic change, so no child is criminalised for their own exploitation.

We’re delighted that your business would like to help us in our fight to end child exploitation. If you are thinking of providing more than a one-off donation, or working with us in other ways, we’d love to talk.

Please reach out by emailing partnerships@catch-22.org.uk 

County lines is a type of criminal exploitation. County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs, using dedicated mobile phone lines.

They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.

Children and vulnerable adults will often be sent to towns outside of their home areas. Children, young people and vulnerable adults are often exploited, this allows those higher up the chain avoid law enforcement.

Learn more about what it is and what we can do to tackle it.

There is not a clear definition of what exploitation is but rather multiple definitions to define each of forms of exploitation. On a whole, exploitation is when an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive any persons.

According to the Home Office: Child Criminal Exploitation occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or (c) through violence or the threat of violence. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology

Learn more about the definition and the need for a clear rights-based legal definition.

We deliver services across the UK where children are affected by Child Criminal Exploitation, from our national County Lines Support and Rescue services, to our Merseyside STEPs programme. We’re committed to supporting children out of immediate danger, whilst also providing long term support to help them to break the cycle of exploitation and be free from the criminals abusing them.

Alongside delivering services, we work tirelessly with other organisations and the government to change the way things are done – so that proper support and safeguarding is in place and support us to campaign for systemic change.

Through our Drawing the Line campaign we have three priortiies we’re asking for:

1. Safeguarding – Protect children from prosecution when they are victims of exploitation.

2. Prevention – Invest in strategies that stop criminal networks before they reach children.

3. Support – Specialist help for victims, including mental health care and tailored support for girls.