Hyper-agency and county lines

Abstract

The article considers the decision-making and actions of young people engaged in county lines. By drawing on data gathered with practitioners and young people associated with a homeless charity in London, the article argues that in convergence with existing theory, the agency that young people exhibit is ambiguous, blurring the boundaries of what children should and should not do. Agency is also tactical; the thoughts and actions taken by young people have a purpose, linked to profit generation, social inclusion and protection. In addition, young people's ability to act and make decisions is embedded within wider notions of hyper-consumerism, hyper-realities and lives lived online. To explore this further, the article proposes the notion of ‘hyper-agency’.