Preventing a post-pandemic surge in the criminalisation of children

Work with offenders on a new report from the Alliance for Youth Justice

The significant risk of a surge in the number of children drawn into the youth justice system following the pandemic is highlighted in a new report. The Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ) highlights a ‘perfect storm’ for children at risk, as a result of the exacerbation of children’s vulnerabilities, support services being under severe strain, and the complex and challenging policy context. AYJ argues that concerted, coordinated action is required to respond to children at risk, and makes recommendations for policymakers and commissioners.

The policy briefing is the first of three by the AYJ on the youth justice system’s response to the Pandemic and is the result of a partnership with the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University. The briefing organises its findings into three main categories.

The impact of COVID-19 on children is devastating, as not only have pre-existing vulnerabilities been exacerbated and safeguarding concerns heightened, but many more children and families are now exposed to new and increased challenges. The report details the impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing, the disruption of their education and their increased exposure to various forms of abuse, exploitation and violence.

The report points out that children in the youth justice system are particularly vulnerable and often face multiple disadvantage, making them likely to be some of the worst affected by the pandemic.

Services 'under severe strain' 

The report argues that the pressure on statutory and voluntary sector services as a result of COVID-19 should be seen in the context of systems already under severe strain, that were already struggling to meet children’s needs before the pandemic. In particular, it highlights that the child safeguarding system was already in crisis pre-pandemic and is failing to meet needs, particularly of children at risk of involvement in exploitation, gangs and serious violence.

The AYJ is concerned that, despite the fallout from the pandemic having arguably had the most significant impact on children, the government has failed to prioritise them in its response. The organisation is also worried that there is a shift in central government policy towards increasingly punitive measures for those who come into conflict with the law, and creating or expanding powers that will widen the net of children within the realm of enforcement and criminalisation.

Recommendations 

Moving forward, the briefing argues that vulnerable children must be at the heart of policy and practice and says that strong leadership and co-ordinated action are required to address the impacts of the pandemic and prevent an influx of children into the youth justice system. The report makes a number of specific recommendations, including:

• A cross-government strategy for children, that learns from adaptions to practice during the pandemic and feeds down to local partnerships, to enable them to respond to local needs.
• Concerted efforts to focus on, and sufficient infrastructure for, maximum diversion of children to positive pathways outside of the justice system.
• Work to rebuild relationships between children and the police and ensure the priority for all police is safeguarding and supporting children.

Interested readers can read the briefing here and an accompanying series of expert blog posts here.