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Awareness · The first line of defence
75%Section 01
A gang is a group of people who share an identity and act together. In this context, we are talking about a criminal gang — even though a gang can be defined socially as a friendship group. A criminal gang is a group involved in things like violence, drug dealing, intimidation or organised crime. These groups often have a name or symbol, territory, hierarchy or leaders, and conflict with rival groups.
Section 02
Gangs carry out violence for different reasons — these could include power, fear, identity or survival. Many gangs use violence to control territory, intimidate rivals, maintain a reputation, and protect illegal income (like drugs or stolen goods).
A lot of gang violence is actually reactive and not planned. Gang members feel they need to act tough or aggressive because they fear being targeted, they don't want to look weak, or they think others in the gang expect them to retaliate.
Section 03
Gang members operating as career criminals face extreme, multifaceted risks that go far beyond conventional legal trouble. These risks include high probabilities of violent victimisation, long-term incarceration, severe health issues, and deep social marginalisation.
Gang members are significantly more likely to be victims of violent crime, including being shot or stabbed, compared to non-gang-affiliated individuals. Involvement in drug trafficking and territorial disputes makes them primary targets for murder or severe injury from rival gangs — or even within their own gang.
Carrying weapons to protect themselves or commit robberies puts them at greater risk of attracting police attention, or being killed by their own weapons.
Career criminals in gangs experience higher numbers of, and longer, incarceration periods. As prisoners, gang members are highly susceptible to becoming victims or perpetrators of violence within prison systems. They also risk arrest for violent crimes committed by other gang members, even if they were not directly involved in the violence.
Criminal careers often lead to poor educational outcomes, minimal legitimate employment opportunities, and long-term reliance on public assistance.
There is a high prevalence of mental health problems, including trauma, low empathy, and poor impulse control.
Members may become trapped by debt to their own gang, forcing them into dangerous, unpaid labour to repay what is owed. Leaving a gang is difficult and often puts the individual and their family at risk of retaliation.
The recruitment pipeline
Section 04
Youth grooming is a predatory process where an individual builds an emotional connection and trusting relationship with a child or young person to manipulate, exploit, or abuse them. This practice — which can occur both in person and online — is often used to prepare a victim for sexual abuse, criminal exploitation (such as gang recruitment), or radicalisation.
It is not a one-time event but a series of stages that can take weeks, months, or even years.
Groomers often present themselves as mentors, romantic partners, or supportive friends to gain the victim's confidence.
They may use "love bombing," gift-giving, and special attention to make the young person feel special and indebted.
A core goal is to separate the victim from protective networks like family and friends, often by creating an "us vs. them" mentality.
Groomers encourage "special secrets" to ensure the abuse remains hidden and the victim feels unable to seek help.
Section 05 · A doctrine you should know
Please view our video on joint enterprise
Joint enterprise is a legal doctrine in England and Wales allowing multiple people to be prosecuted for the same crime if they assisted or encouraged it — even if they did not commit the physical act. It enables "secondary" parties to be charged similarly to the "principal" offender if they intended to assist or encourage the crime.
In simple terms, it means you can be held just as responsible as the main offender if you helped, encouraged, or planned the crime together.
You and another person or group decide to do something illegal together.
One person does the main action (e.g., stabs someone), while you are present as a "lookout" or simply encouraging them.
Because you were part of the plan and intended to help, you are both considered "in it together."
You can be found guilty of the same offence — such as murder — even if you never touched the victim.
Important to understand
Being part of a gang is not automatically a crime, but it is frequently used in prosecutions to establish joint enterprise — a legal doctrine holding multiple people responsible for a single crime if they assisted, encouraged, or foresaw it. If a person is present during a crime, even if not the primary actor, they can be convicted.
Section 06
Please watch our video on drug dealing
Drug dealing is the act of selling, distributing, or supplying illegal or controlled substances. It is a criminal offence that encompasses a wide range of activities, from small-scale transactions between individuals to high-level operations by organised crime groups.
Section 07
A drug debt trap — also known as drug debt bondage — is a form of criminal exploitation where a person is forced into illegal labour or other harmful activities to repay a debt to drug dealers or gangs.
This debt is often intentionally created or manufactured by the exploiter to gain total control over a vulnerable individual.
Dealers may gift drugs, food, or clothes and later demand payment — or stage robberies of drugs in a victim's possession so they are held responsible for the financial loss.
To repay the debt, victims are coerced into dangerous roles, such as:
Transporting drugs or money between locations, often across counties (known as County Lines).
Being forced to allow gangs to use their home as a base for selling or manufacturing drugs.
Forced to hide drugs inside their bodies (gangs call it "plugging") to avoid police detection during transport.
Exploitation rarely ends when a debt is "paid" — dealers often add interest or find new reasons to keep the victim indebted to maintain a supply of free, disposable labour.
Gangs use intimidation, physical assault, or threats against the victim's family to ensure compliance.
Need help?
If you or someone you know is being groomed, exploited or threatened — reach out to a support organisation today.
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