On writing Crossing the Line

A few years ago, my friend’s fourteen-year-old son – who’d been bullied and was a little disruptive at school – became aggressive. He was staying out all night, smoking weed. At first, his parents put it down to ‘teenage’, but by the end of that year he was so ill with anxiety he’d stopped eating; he was so scared, he couldn’t even walk across town.

What was he so scared of? Eventually he confessed. Gangs. He’d been running drugs and weapons for a gang, and now he wasn’t safe anywhere. They were even threatening his family: it felt like there was no escape.

That was the first I’d ever heard of ‘county lines’ child exploitation. County what? I hunted around for information, but most of what I found was buried in police reports and documentaries. Although authorities already suspected there were tens of thousands of children in England being exploited by gangs to run and sell drugs, these children’s experiences weren’t reflected in books, or films, or on TV. That’s why I wanted to write about it: to spread the word about this destruction of so many young lives. Lockdown made it much worse: today county lines is an epidemic among Britain’s vulnerable young people. If it’s happening to you or to a friend, I want you to know you aren’t alone, you aren’t to blame, and you can reach out for help.

The Erik I wrote about is safe now, and piecing his future together. He wants to help others if he can, and we talked for hours while he answered my many questions. I’ve used my imagination, of course: Erik’s story, as I have written it, is fiction. But many of the details of my character’s recruitment (grooming) and his life selling drugs in a regional city are real and came from our conversations. Because I was writing outside my own experience, it was my responsibility to do a lot of research: I read reports, the little fiction I could find, and listened to youth workers, to other young people and to families of county lines victims.

I’m very grateful that The Children’s Society gave their time to talk to me and read Crossing the Line for authenticity. They know that children caught up in county lines are victims, not criminals, and they work to get them vital support and protection.

If you recognise yourself, or anyone you know, in Erik’s story, then please don’t feel you have to cope with this on your own. I can’t promise a magic wand – I wish I could – but I hope very much that you will find someone who will listen to you and help.

Help resources

Here are some places you could look for that help. If any of these sources change, please send me an email (on the contact page) and let me know. Contacts are in this order: Website | Twitter | Phone

Reporting crime: Fearless is a service that allows you to pass on information about crime 100% anonymously. This means you don't have to give any personal details. crimestoppers-uk.org/fearless | Twitter @fearlessORG | tel 0800 555 111

If you’re missing, or thinking of going missing: missing people www.missingpeople.org.uk | Twitter @missingpeople | tel or text 116 000 (If you’re worried about someone missing, contact the police as the first point of call)

Information about county lines exploitation for parents and professionals: Be Space Aware www.bespaceaware.co.uk | @bespaceaware, The Children’s Society www.childrenssociety.org.uk Parents Against Child Exploitation paceuk.info

Support for families (general) Family Lives www.familylives.org.uk | Freephone: 0808 800 2222, Family Action www.family-action.org.uk | Freephone 0808 802 6666 | Text 07537 404 282 National Council for Voluntary Youth Services – network of over 280 national organisations, and regional and local networks that work with and for young people. www.ncvys.org.uk

Advice on bullying: Anti-Bullying Alliance www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

Support for children (general): Childline www.childline.org.uk | Freephone 0800 1111 , Safe4me www.safe4me.co.uk

Support for bereaved families: Winston’s Wish Freephone 08088 020 021 | email ask@winstonswish.org