The Lived Experiences of Women Criminalised as Part of County Lines Enforcement: Victims or Offenders?

Abstract This research aimed to capture the lived experiences of women criminalised in the context of county lines enforcement, focusing on exploring the impact of the victim-offender dichotomy in this context. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to examine and explore participants’ lived experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three women who have experiences of being criminalised as part of the county lines response. The findings reveal that women were impacted by experiences of multiple disadvantage, trauma, and abuse, further compounded by county lines enforcement and involvement. A culture of coercion and violence was reported, with participants’ lived reality within a ‘victim-offender’ dichotomy resulting in being marginalised from support. The findings suggest that punitive approaches serve to further re-traumatise women and that professionals need to have an awareness of trauma-informed practice. The findings also indicate that interventions should ensure to increase agency for women experiencing exploitation.