Calls for changes over protection of children

The Punishing Abuse report was commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

It has been described as one of the most wide-ranging contemporary studies conducted into children in the criminal justice system in this country.

The report provides a number of recommendations and proposals that focus on implementing a system-wide change to how public organisations support disadvantaged children who have experience adversity, abuse, loss and trauma.

Punishing Abuse, authored by Dr Alex Chard, argues that a number of children in the youth justice system are being punished as a consequence of the impact on their behaviours of their early abuse and loss.

Of the 80 children in the criminal justice system studied nine in 10 children are known or suspected to have been abused; while eight in 10 children are known or suspected to have a health issue.

It also highlighted that eight in 10 were subject to school exclusion or attendance at multiple secondary schools; seven in 10 are known or suspected to have lived with domestic violence whilst growing up; seven in 10 children are known or suspected to be a victim of violence; seven in 10 children lived in poverty; and there was only one child with no recorded abuse or childhood adversity.

Crime

The report indicates that exposure to abuse as a child may recalibrate the emotional response system leaving latent vulnerability to aggressive behaviour, psychiatric disorder and poor outcomes across the life-course.

Dr Chard said: “Poverty, disadvantage and social exclusion, linked with systemic failure to address their needs, creates a conveyor belt which propels vulnerable children towards exploitation and crime.

“This report portrays the experiences children in the justice system have suffered, this is profoundly saddening and shocking. I hope that this report will initiate system wide change to improve the lives of the many children who experience adversity, abuse, loss and trauma, better protecting both those children and importantly their communities.

“I hope that this report will empower West Midlands agencies to make a real difference in this area. Firstly, by enabling practitioners to better respond to such harmed and troubled children. Secondly, by transforming agency systems to improve the lives of children who offend and the wellbeing of their families and communities.

"Finally and perhaps most significantly, by helping to change the underlying structural factors that have impacted so adversely on these vulnerable children.”

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, said: “This is a harrowing report that lays bare some of the awful circumstances some young people find themselves in through no fault of their own.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner I am committed to improving the opportunities that young people have to ensure that they lead fulfilling lives away from crime. This report offers a number of recommendations and I am committed to working with partners to implement them.

“This report shows that much more needs to be done to protect the most vulnerable young people in our society and more needs to be invested to support children and their families who are at risk.

“Collectively we are failing some of our most vulnerable young people and we are all paying the price later on. This report needs to be a catalyst for change.”

Terrible

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, added: “Whilst there is never an excuse for committing crime, this report sets out some of the terrible experiences children in the criminal justice system have faced growing up.

“This report identifies a clear link between children and teenagers suffering from abuse, violence, and poverty, and then going on to commit criminal offences. It is therefore imperative that these underlying causes are addressed, and there is a serious amount of collaborative hard work needed to make that happen.

“Tackling gang crime and child abuse is of course an important part of the solution, but so is providing young people across the region with better opportunities to help them contribute positively and overcome the challenges they have faced early in their lives.

"From better job opportunities and better education in schools, to a crackdown on the criminals abusing and exploiting vulnerable young people’s futures, this has to be a collaborative effort and I am pleased the WMCA has commissioned this research hand in hand with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.”