Abuse of a Different Kind. Adults Using Children to Commit Crime

This research paper discusses a child consultation study conducted in South Africa to explore the phenomenon of children being used by adults to commit crime (CUBAC). Part of a broader International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Department of Labour programme to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, the study engaged 541 children to understand the drivers of child criminality and the methods adults use to recruit and coerce them.

• The study identified four primary factors contributing to children's initial involvement in crime: home environment (poverty, parenting, and family relationships), peer pressure and the desire for status symbols, substance abuse (specifically drugs and alcohol), and the influence of gangs, which was most prominent in the Western Cape.
• Adults engage children in criminal activities through both direct and indirect means. Direct involvement includes using children as accomplices, look-outs, or drug sellers, and paying them to commit crimes. Indirect involvement includes providing weapons, buying stolen goods, or promoting the attractiveness of a criminal lifestyle.
• Rewards are a universal method used by adults to recruit children, with all 41 focus groups identifying them. These rewards include tangible items like money, drugs, clothes, and guns, as well as intangible rewards such as respect, recognition, and esteem.
• Coercion through violence and deception is common. Twenty-seven of the 41 focus groups reported the use of physical violence or threats (including death threats and rape) to force children into crime. Some adults use a deceptive process of providing gifts to create a 'debt' that the child must repay through criminal acts.
• Drug addiction is a critical vulnerability; 15 focus groups reported that adults deliberately addict children to drugs to make them easier to manipulate for criminal purposes. Children mentioned substances such as mandrax, tik, and heroin as factors that force them into these relationships.
• While coercion is prevalent, children also exercise agency. Thirty-nine of the 41 groups stated that children often make their own decisions to commit crime, typically motivated by the expected rewards.
• There is a legal gap in South Africa regarding the recruitment of children for crime. While the Child Justice Bill addresses child offending, the act of adults engaging children in illicit activities is not specifically criminalised in South African law, and existing common law for incitement and conspiracy may be inadequate.
• Among the children in Secure Care Facilities (SCFs) for whom data was available (N=389), 47% (182 children) were co-accused with adults, while 53% (207 children) were charged on their own.

APA

Frank, C. (2006). Abuse of a Different Kind. Adults Using Children to Commit Crime. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/01-jun-2006-sacq-no-16/01-jun-2006-abuse-of-a-different-kind.-adults-using-children-to-commit-crime-cheryl-frank

Chicago

Frank, Cheryl. Abuse of a Different Kind. Adults Using Children to Commit Crime. Institute for Security Studies, 2006. https://issafrica.org/01-jun-2006-sacq-no-16/01-jun-2006-abuse-of-a-different-kind.-adults-using-children-to-commit-crime-cheryl-frank.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Frank |first1=Cheryl |title=Abuse of a Different Kind. Adults Using Children to Commit Crime |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=1 June 2006 |url=https://issafrica.org/01-jun-2006-sacq-no-16/01-jun-2006-abuse-of-a-different-kind.-adults-using-children-to-commit-crime-cheryl-frank |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{frank2006abuse, author = {Frank, Cheryl}, title = {{Abuse of a Different Kind. Adults Using Children to Commit Crime}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2006}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.org/01-jun-2006-sacq-no-16/01-jun-2006-abuse-of-a-different-kind.-adults-using-children-to-commit-crime-cheryl-frank}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }