Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2026. A Lens of Labour and Hyper-Agency; New Perspectives on Young People’s Involvement in Gangs and Organised Crime. International Conference on Law and Social Sciences (ICLSS 2026), International Institute of Justice and the South Asian Society of Criminology and Victimology . Bengaluru, India 28 - 29 Mar 2026
| Title | A Lens of Labour and Hyper-Agency; New Perspectives on Young People’s Involvement in Gangs and Organised Crime |
|---|---|
| Authors | Atkinson-Sheppard, S. |
| Type | Conference paper |
| Abstract | This paper introduces two novel conceptual approaches to understanding young people’s participation in gangs and organised crime. The first, a “labour lens”, is informed by empirical research conducted in three Asian contexts—Bangladesh, China, and Nepal. This framework considers instrumental motivations underpinning involvement in crime, including children’s need to work for survival, moral economies, and the ecological conditions shaped by crime and legacies of colonialism. The second concept, “hyper-agency”, is derived from UK-based research with young people involved in county lines drug distribution. This research suggests that the forms of agency exercised within county lines are strategic yet ambivalent, oriented towards income generation, social belonging, and inclusion. The paper contends that this agency must be understood as context-specific, situated within broader dynamics of hyper-consumerism, digitally mediated lives, and intensified social realities. Thus, involvement in county lines reflects a distinct form of agency – a hyper-agency. The paper concludes by examining points of convergence and divergence across these concepts, empirical settings, and geographical locations, and by raising critical questions for global theorisation of young people’s engagement in gangs and organised crime. |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | International Conference on Law and Social Sciences (ICLSS 2026), International Institute of Justice and the South Asian Society of Criminology and Victimology |
Theorising a Lens of Labour: Re-thinking Gangs and Organised Crime in a Pan-Asian Context
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2026. Theorising a Lens of Labour: Re-thinking Gangs and Organised Crime in a Pan-Asian Context . Palgrave Macmillan.
Sharif’s Story: From Gang Member to Human Rights Worker in Bangladesh
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2026. Sharif’s Story: From Gang Member to Human Rights Worker in Bangladesh . in: Rodgers, D. (ed.) Gang Lives: Global Portraits from the Streets and Beyond Bloomsbury. pp. 193-209
‘Playing to survive’; street-connected children and the right to play in Bangladesh and Nepal
Atkinson-Sheppard, S., Subedi, G., Jha, V., Ghimire, N.C., Saifuzzaman, A.K.M. and Bukhareva, A. 2026. ‘Playing to survive’; street-connected children and the right to play in Bangladesh and Nepal. Childhood. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/09075682261449670
Book review: Syndicates and societies: criminal politics in Dhaka by David Jackman, Cambridge University Press, 2025, 224 pp., £90.00 (hardback), US$120.00 (eBook)
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2025. Book review: Syndicates and societies: criminal politics in Dhaka by David Jackman, Cambridge University Press, 2025, 224 pp., £90.00 (hardback), US$120.00 (eBook). Asian Studies Review. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2025.2572430
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Domestic Violence: The Case of Marginalised and Dalit Women in Madesh Province, Nepal
Govind Subedi, Sally Atkinson-Sheppard and Rita Karki 2025. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Domestic Violence: The Case of Marginalised and Dalit Women in Madesh Province, Nepal. Sociological Bulletin. 75 (1), pp. 85-105. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380229251380788
Global perspectives on young people’s involvement in gangs and organised crime
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2025. Global perspectives on young people’s involvement in gangs and organised crime. International Conference on Law and Criminology - International Institute of Justice and the South Asian Society of Criminology and Victimology, Karnata, India . Karnata, India 29 - 30 Mar 2025
Conceptualising the Nepalese 'Gang'
Atkinson-Sheppard, S., Subedi, G. and Jha, V. 2025. Conceptualising the Nepalese 'Gang'. British Journal of Criminology. 65 (5), pp. 1106-1122. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azaf001
Coercion and crime: Convergences, divergences and ‘county lines’
Atkinson-Sheppard, S., Dando, C.J., Ormerod, T. and Robinson, B. 2025. Coercion and crime: Convergences, divergences and ‘county lines’. Criminology & Criminal Justice. 25 (3), pp. 927-949. https://doi.org/10.1177/17488958231153981
‘Ambiguous play’: Understanding the right to play – a case study of street-connected children in Kathmandu
Subedi, G., Atkinson-Sheppard, S. and Jha, V. 2024. ‘Ambiguous play’: Understanding the right to play – a case study of street-connected children in Kathmandu. Global Studies of Childhood. 15 (1), pp. 115-129. https://doi.org/10.1177/20436106241295774
Gangs’stories: From the streets of Dhaka to human-rights advocacy in Bangladesh
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2024. Gangs’stories: From the streets of Dhaka to human-rights advocacy in Bangladesh. The Conversation.
Hyper-agency and County Lines
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2024. Hyper-agency and County Lines. Theoretical Criminology. 29 (2), pp. 231-245. https://doi.org/10.1177/13624806241265677
Organised crime, gangs and illicit child labourers in Nepal
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2024. Organised crime, gangs and illicit child labourers in Nepal. International Conference on Global Crime Prevention, Justice and Criminal Victimisation . India 16 - 17 Mar 2024
Key note speaker: A 'lens of labour'; developing a new conceptual framework for considering young people's involvement in gangs and organised crime (reflections from Bangladesh, China and Nepal)
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2023. Key note speaker: A 'lens of labour'; developing a new conceptual framework for considering young people's involvement in gangs and organised crime (reflections from Bangladesh, China and Nepal) . International Crime, Law and Forensics in the 21st Century, International Institute of Justice & Police Sciences (IIJPS) in collaboration with South Asian Society of Criminology & Victimology (SASCV). India 24 - 25 Jun 2023
Playing to Survive; Street Children and the Right to Play in Bangladesh and Nepal
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2023. Playing to Survive; Street Children and the Right to Play in Bangladesh and Nepal. The Interdependence and Indivisibility of the UNCRC: Implementing and Understanding the Right to Play and the Convention. Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, University of Oxford 14 - 16 Jun 2023
Parental experiences of the impact of grooming and criminal exploitation of children for county lines drug trafficking
Dando, C.J., Ormerod, T. and Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2023. Parental experiences of the impact of grooming and criminal exploitation of children for county lines drug trafficking. Journal of Public Health. 45 (2), pp. e346-e354. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdac112
Street children, criminological research and emotional labour; reflections from the field
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2023. Street children, criminological research and emotional labour; reflections from the field. in: Diaz, A., del Real, C. and Molnar, L. (ed.) Fieldwork Experiences in Criminology and Security: Methods, Ethics, and Emotions Springer. pp. 207-221
A ‘Lens of Labor’: Re-Conceptualizing Young People’s Involvement in Organized Crime
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2022. A ‘Lens of Labor’: Re-Conceptualizing Young People’s Involvement in Organized Crime. Critical Criminology: an International Journal. 31, p. 467–487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-022-09674-5
The Gangs of Bangladesh; Mastaans, Street Gangs and ‘Illicit Child Labourers’ in Dhaka.
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2022. The Gangs of Bangladesh; Mastaans, Street Gangs and ‘Illicit Child Labourers’ in Dhaka. Dhaka University, Criminology Department, 10-year anniversary conference. Dhaka, Bangladesh 21 Jul 2022
Through the lens of labour; reconceptualising young people’s involvement in organised crime in the global South and beyond
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2021. Through the lens of labour; reconceptualising young people’s involvement in organised crime in the global South and beyond. British Society of Criminology Annual Conference . Online 07 - 09 Jul 2021
Developing authenticity, building connections; exploring research methodologies in Asia
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2021. Developing authenticity, building connections; exploring research methodologies in Asia . Asian Journal of Criminology. 17, p. 157–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-021-09358-z
Through the lens of labour; reconceptualising young people’s involvement in organised crime in the global South and beyond
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2021. Through the lens of labour; reconceptualising young people’s involvement in organised crime in the global South and beyond. British Society of Criminology Annual Conference . Online 07 - 09 Jul 2021
Re-imagining the landscape of gangs; reflections from Bangladesh and China
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2021. Re-imagining the landscape of gangs; reflections from Bangladesh and China. Asian Criminological Society 12th Annual Conference. Ryukoku University, Japan 18 - 21 Jun 2021
Tales from the field; an invitation to criminological research in Asia
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2021. Tales from the field; an invitation to criminological research in Asia. Asian Criminological Society 12th Annual Conference pre-event. 03 - 03 Feb 2021
Book review: Wong, R. The Illegal Wildlife Trade in China: Understanding the Distribution Networks
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2021. Book review: Wong, R. The Illegal Wildlife Trade in China: Understanding the Distribution Networks. Asian Journal of Criminology. 16, pp. 415-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-020-09335-y
Reimagining the landscape of gangs: reflections from Bangladesh and China
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2021. Reimagining the landscape of gangs: reflections from Bangladesh and China. in: Brotherton, D. and Gude, R. (ed.) Routledge International Handbook of Critical Gang Studies Routledge.
Organised crime, gangs and the complexity of group offending in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2020. Organised crime, gangs and the complexity of group offending in Dhaka, Bangladesh. in: Jaishankar, K. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of South Asian Criminology Routledge.
Impulsiveness or self-protection? Exploring individual perceptions, family and school strains related to why adolescents run away from home in China
Yanping Yu, Atkinson-Sheppard, S. and Yunjiao Gao 2020. Impulsiveness or self-protection? Exploring individual perceptions, family and school strains related to why adolescents run away from home in China. Children and Youth Services Review. 108, p. 104615 104615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104615
Street children, gender dynamics and organised crime; reflections from Bangladesh and China
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2019. Street children, gender dynamics and organised crime; reflections from Bangladesh and China. Development and Cooperation. 2019/08, pp. 31-32.
Pathways to delinquency for street children in China: Institutional anomie, resilience and crime
Yu, Y., Gao, Y. and Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2019. Pathways to delinquency for street children in China: Institutional anomie, resilience and crime. Children and Youth Services Review. 102, pp. 158-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.05.012
Conceptual similarities; distinct difference: Exploring ‘the gang’ in Mainland China
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. and Hayward, H. 2019. Conceptual similarities; distinct difference: Exploring ‘the gang’ in Mainland China. British Journal of Criminology. 59 (3), p. 614–633. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azy051
The Gangs of Bangladesh; Mastaans, Street Gangs and ‘Illicit Child Labourers’ in Dhaka
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2019. The Gangs of Bangladesh; Mastaans, Street Gangs and ‘Illicit Child Labourers’ in Dhaka. Palgrave Macmillan.
What role Dhaka’s street children play in organised crime
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2018. What role Dhaka’s street children play in organised crime. Development and Cooperation. 2018/04, pp. 23-24.
A rough life: exploring the involvement of street children in organised crime in Dhaka
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2018. A rough life: exploring the involvement of street children in organised crime in Dhaka. LSE South Asia Blog.
Gender dynamics and ‘illicit labour’; exploring street children’s involvement in organised crime in Bangladesh and China
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2018. Gender dynamics and ‘illicit labour’; exploring street children’s involvement in organised crime in Bangladesh and China . UNODC International Conference on Gender and Organised Crime. Florence, Italy
Developing a ‘Global South’ Perspective of Street Children’s Involvement in Organised Crime
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2018. Developing a ‘Global South’ Perspective of Street Children’s Involvement in Organised Crime. in: Carrington, K., Hogg, R., Scott, J. and Sozzo, M. (ed.) The Palgrave Handbook of Criminology and the Global South Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 473-492
A Review of the National Policies on Street Children in China
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2018. A Review of the National Policies on Street Children in China. Children and Youth Services Review. 93, pp. 79-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.07.009
Street Children and Dhaka’s Gangs: Using a Case Study to Explore Bangladeshi Organised Crime
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2018. Street Children and Dhaka’s Gangs: Using a Case Study to Explore Bangladeshi Organised Crime. SAGE Research Methods Cases. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526427625
Developing a ‘global south’ perspective of street children’s involvement in organised crime
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2017. Developing a ‘global south’ perspective of street children’s involvement in organised crime . Crime and Justice in Asia and the Global South. Cairns, Australia 18 - 20 Jul 2017
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Child Maltreatment Among Migrant Families in China
Gao. Y., Atkinson-Sheppard, S. and Liu, X. 2017. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Child Maltreatment Among Migrant Families in China. Child Abuse & Neglect. 65, pp. 171-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.01.023
Mastaans and the Market for Social Protection: Exploring Mafia Groups in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2017. Mastaans and the Market for Social Protection: Exploring Mafia Groups in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Criminology. 12 (4), pp. 235-253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-017-9246-9
Street Children and ‘Protective Agency’: Exploring Young People’s Involvement in Organised Crime in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2017. Street Children and ‘Protective Agency’: Exploring Young People’s Involvement in Organised Crime in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Childhood. 24 (3), pp. 416-429. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568217694418
Street Children and ‘Illicit Labour’: Considering New Ways to Prevent Young People’s Involvement in Organised Crime’ - Beijing, China
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2016. Street Children and ‘Illicit Labour’: Considering New Ways to Prevent Young People’s Involvement in Organised Crime’ - Beijing, China . 8th Annual Conference of the Asian Criminological Society. Beijing, China 17 - 19 Jun 2016
The Gangs of Bangladesh: Exploring Organised Crime, Street Gangs and ‘Illicit Child Labourers’ in Dhaka
Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2016. The Gangs of Bangladesh: Exploring Organised Crime, Street Gangs and ‘Illicit Child Labourers’ in Dhaka. Criminology & Criminal Justice. 16 (2), pp. 233-249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895815616445
Understanding the Psychology of Gang Violence: Implications for Designing Effective Violence Reduction Interventions
Harris, D., Turner, R., Garrett, I. and Atkinson-Sheppard, S. 2011. Understanding the Psychology of Gang Violence: Implications for Designing Effective Violence Reduction Interventions. Ministry of Justice.
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