When Money Talks, Exploitation Listens, at Any Age
Kathy is Director of Kathy Now Then Coaching, drawing on 15 years’ experience as a teacher, SENCo, Assistant Educational Psychologist, Young person coach, and parent. She supports families to rebuild relationships and help young people thrive amid the evolving pressures of today's education system.
Drawing on her experience in education since 2006, as a teacher, SENDCo, Assistant Educational Psychologist, and parent, Kathy Cook supports families in rebuilding relationships and helping young people thrive amid the pressures of modern education.
Who wouldn’t love to win the lottery and take the financial pressure off, even just for a while? It’s an appealing idea. But when we begin to see money as the solution to our problems, exploitation is often not far behind.
For adults, this might show up through gambling or an unhealthy drive to climb the career ladder at the expense of health and family life. For young people, however, exploitation can take a far more slippery path through county lines.
Safeguarding against county lines
Have you heard the term county lines before? If I hadn’t spent years working in education, I’m not sure I would have. Safeguarding has always been central to my work with children and young people. It’s also something many people don’t realise is everyone’s responsibility. If you have a concern about a child or young person, it matters, and it should never be ignored.
County lines refer to the exploitation of young people to distribute illegal drugs. They are often groomed into these roles through promises of money, status, and belonging, meeting emotional needs as much as financial ones. But beneath the surface, the risks are severe.
This exploitation rarely affects just the young person. Families can also become victims through a process known as cuckooing, where a home is taken over and used as a base for criminal activity. What may begin as an attempt to cope or get by can quickly escalate into a situation that feels impossible to escape.
Young people themselves are often dehumanised, referred to as easily replaceable “Bic” pens, and become part of a hierarchy that feeds on vulnerability and the need for recognition. It is exploitation at its starkest.
It’s not happening here
It’s comforting to believe that this isn’t happening in our communities. I used to think the same. Early in my role as an Assistant Educational Psychologist, I was shocked to learn that a pupil could not attend their education placement in a Pupil Referral Unit because it was on a different “patch”. It felt like something out of a novel, but it was real, and it was affecting access to their education.
I have known families who are now serving prison sentences as a result of being cuckooed, families who never set out to be involved in anything illegal. Their vulnerability was targeted, and the consequences were life-changing. This is happening more often than we might realise, and it may not even be part of a statistic because it hasn’t been recognised yet.
Education and youth justice service
Within the education system, there are still gaps that some children fall through. For those young people, the outcomes can be stark.
There are well-documented links between low levels of academic attainment and involvement in the criminal justice system. It raises an important question: at what point are these individuals being let down? How can we work with the Youth Justice Service as a preventative approach rather than a reactive one?
A world where people struggle to read, write, manage finances, or regulate their emotions is isolating. Despite progress, aspects of our system still echo the past, repeating cycles without addressing root causes.
Recognising the signs
There are services available to support young people affected by exploitation. But, as with all safeguarding, awareness is key.
We need to recognise the signs:
Sudden access to money or expensive items
Changes in behaviour, secrecy, or withdrawal
Unexplained travel or absences
New associations with older individuals or groups
Exploitation doesn’t always look obvious, and it doesn’t always happen in another city. It may be closer than you realise.
Straight talking: What can we do?
If you have a young person in your life, help them understand that money is earned over time. Quick money often comes with hidden costs. This is not to say that having high aspirations is bad, but it is about building awareness and resilience.
If you have concerns, don’t ignore them. Don’t hope they’ll disappear. Reach out for support. There are organisations equipped to help, often discreetly.
We want young people to grow in independence, but they also need to know there is always a safe space to return to. Keeping communication open, being curious, and listening without judgment can make all the difference. Actions are often taken with the best of intentions, or even as a cry for help. Let’s not allow more young people to become statistics.
A collective responsibility
Safeguarding is not just a professional duty, it’s a shared responsibility. By staying informed, speaking up, and supporting one another, we can help protect children and young people from exploitation.
Let’s allow children to be children, safe, supported, and free to thrive. It’s their protected human right, too, under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Read more from Kathy Cook
Kathy Cook, Director of Kathy Now Then Coaching
Now Then Coaching takes its name from a warm greeting used by Kathy’s late grandparents and a reminder to focus on now, while growing from then. With experience across primary, secondary, and specialist settings, including Alternative Provisions, Kathy has supported families through both one-to-one coaching and educational support. She helps adults reframe how behaviour is understood, recognising that not all needs are loud or disruptive, some are quiet and easily missed. Kathy advocates for moving beyond labels such as “naughty” or “disengaged”, encouraging a more compassionate, curious approach that asks what a child may need rather than what they have done wrong.
