Policy Briefing: A perfect storm for children at risk? Preventing a post-pandemic surge in the criminalisation of children
This is the first of three policy briefings for our ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Youth Justice’ research project, delivered in collaboration between ourselves and the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University, and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of the UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19.
This briefing explores the significant risk of a surge in the number of children drawn into the justice system following the pandemic as a result of:
the exacerbation of children’s vulnerabilities
support services under severe strain
and the complex and challenging policy context.
We argue that concerted, coordinated action is required to respond to children at risk, and make recommendations for policymakers and commissioners.