Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Gang-associated Girls

06 October 2020 · 3 other contributors · 7,774 words

Opened by Florence Eshalomi Labour (Co-op) Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Responding minister: Victoria Atkins

Crime & Law EnforcementChildren & Families

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Florence Eshalomi raised concerns about gang-associated girls in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Florence Eshalomi highlighted the hidden issue of girls and young women involved in gang activities, noting risks such as rape, sexual abuse, and forced criminal activity.
  • The debate noted a significant data gap, with only six females listed on the Metropolitan Police Service's gangs matrix compared to 2,492 males.
  • Eshalomi asked the Minister to ensure resources are allocated to disrupt county lines operations with a gendered approach and to secure funding for tailored support services for at-risk young women and girls.

Key requests to Government

Eshalomi asked the Minister to ensure that resources are allocated to disrupt county lines operations using a gendered approach and to lobby the Chancellor for funding so councils can provide tailored support services for young women and girls at risk.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Florence Eshalomi Labour (Co-op) Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Florence Eshalomi highlighted the hidden issue of girls and young women involved in gang activities, which often go under-reported. She mentioned that girls face different risks such as rape, sexual abuse, online grooming, threats to themselves or their families, and forced criminal activity like county lines operations. The lack of data on female gang members was also noted, with only six females listed on the Metropolitan Police Service's gangs matrix compared to 2,492 males. Eshalomi cited a Children's Commissioner's estimate of about 2,290 girls associated with gangs in England, representing approximately 34% of all gang-associated children.

Other contributors (3)
  • Bambos Charalambous Lab Southgate and Wood Green

    Mr. Bambos Charalambous highlighted the under-representation of gang-associated girls in data, noting that girls are often used for county lines operations due to lower risk of detection. He emphasized the need for early interventions and mental health support for these girls, as well as the importance of raising awareness about their exploitation and violence against them.

  • Kim Johnson Lab Liverpool Riverside

    Vulnerable young people are coerced into county lines and gangs, often through sexual exploitation. Liverpool is a major hotspot for such activities outside of London. The speaker highlighted the impact of poverty, social inequality, and systemic racism on black girls and women, noting that girls often become involved in gangs due to relationships with male members. Data on female gang involvement is scarce but suggests that it affects about 34% of all gang-associated children. Kim Johnson called for more funding for gender-specific services and training for police officers to better address the issue.

  • Nickie Aiken Con Cities of London and Westminster

    Westminster was not traditionally associated with gang violence but had risen to third place in the Met's serious youth violence table. The speaker established a gangs unit focusing on drug-related issues, particularly in Pimlico. Girls involved in gangs are often ignored by police despite being used as weapons or messengers. She called for better data collection and funding for relationship programmes to educate young people about healthy relationships.

Government Response

Victoria Atkins

I congratulate and thank the hon. Member for Vauxhall for bringing this debate to the House, highlighting an important and hidden issue of gang-associated girls. The Government is prioritising tackling serious violence, including the victimisation of girls and young women in gangs, by investing £119 million in extra police resources this year alone and over £200 million on early intervention programmes. There are specific challenges for girls and young women who face threats to themselves and their families, sexual exploitation, and long-term implications such as damaged credit ratings. The Minister noted that violence reduction units across the country have been working to identify local risks and drivers of serious violence and to provide tailored support for girls and young women affected by gang activity and county lines exploitation. Specific initiatives include one-to-one support services in London, Merseyside, and the West Midlands, and investments in rape and sexual abuse support services with £24 million over three years. The Minister also highlighted the importance of education on healthy relationships to prevent violence and abuse and introduced new knife crime prevention orders as an additional tool for the police. However, she recognised the need for more comprehensive data collection and engagement with violence reduction units to ensure that all affected young people are considered in local responses.

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