What are they actually paying you for?

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What are they actually paying you for?

Maybe you saw one of our videos.

Maybe something in it felt familiar.

Maybe you're worried about your pal.

Or maybe none of this is your life and you're just having a look. That's okay too.

This page isn't here to label you. It's just here to help you think about what's going on.

You don't have to call yourself a victim

Maybe you're thinking:

We're not going to pretend you get nothing from it and we're not here to tell you what to think.

We're asking you to look at the whole deal.

The whole deal

Ask yourself:

And if somebody offers you something that sounds good, but you're taking the risk and they're benefiting more than you, it's worth stopping and asking why.

If the deal is so good, why aren't they doing it themselves?

You might be moving drugs or selling them. Holding drugs, money or weapons for someone.

Whatever you're doing, the thing you're really being paid for is taking the risk for somebody else.

If they could make the same money without you, would they still need you around?

But it was my choice

Maybe it was. Maybe nobody threatened you, maybe you wanted in and still do.

That doesn't mean nobody can be taking advantage of you.

Someone can give you money.

Make you feel important.

Make you feel part of something.

Treat you like a pal.

And still be getting more from the situation than you are.

So ask yourself:

Can somebody make you feel important and still be using you?

You don't need to call it exploitation.

You don't need to call yourself a victim.

Just look at what's happening.

Who actually has your back?

A proper pal doesn't need you to get hurt so they can stay safe.

They don't expect you to take risks they wouldn't take themselves.

They don't leave you carrying everything when something goes wrong.

Ask yourself:

If everything went wrong tonight, who would still be there?

"What am I meant to do instead?"

That's a fair question.

Because walking away isn't always as simple as someone saying "Just stop."

Walking away can mean losing things that matter to you like money, friends, somewhere to go, feeling protected or just the life you’ve got used to.

You might owe someone.

You might be scared about what happens next.

Or maybe you genuinely can't see anything better waiting for you.

You don't need to sort everything today.

And you don't have to carry all of it yourself.

Is there one person you'd trust enough to tell a bit of it to?

You don't need to tell them everything at once. You can start small.

And if there isn't someone like that right now, there are people below who will listen.

This doesn't have to be your whole life

Maybe you've been arrested.

Maybe you've been in secure.

Maybe you're dealing.

Maybe you've tried to change things before.

Maybe people have made you feel like this is just who you are now.

It isn't.

What you've done does not cancel your right to be safe. 

Your life can still change - even if you can't see how yet.

Bringing someone younger into it?

Maybe somebody brought you into this and now you might be bringing someone younger in.

You might genuinely think you're helping them – giving them money, a chance, looking out for them. But ask yourself:

Would you want them carrying what you've had to carry?

You don't have to pass the risk down just because somebody passed it to you.

Worried about your pal?

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