It is essential for youth justice agencies to explicitly seek children’s opinions about matters affecting them at all stages of their involvement, according to a new report.
Conducted under the framework of the Youth Justice Board’s Child First approach, the research focuses on understanding how children experience and perceive encounters within the youth justice system in England and Wales.
Child First is an evidence-based framework for working with children incorporating four tenets: see children as children; develop pro-social identity for positive child outcomes; collaboration with children and promoting diversion away from the justice system.
The focus for this project is the third tenet, ‘collaboration with children’.
The study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and led by Professor Steve Case (Principal Investigator) at Loughborough University and Dr Kathy Hampson (Co-investigator) at Aberystwyth University, emphasises the need to move beyond adult-centric policies and practices to ensure that justice-involved children are “listened to, and their views respected”.
It outlines actionable recommendations for improving collaboration at every level of the Youth Justice System, including:
- Embedding Child First collaboration practise into all youth justice agencies.
- Actively involving children in decision-making processes.
- Neutralising power imbalances through child-friendly practices and welcoming environments.
- Ensuring consistency in collaboration across police, courts, and custodial services.
- Incorporating children’s voices in all youth justice research and policy development.
Andrea Nisbet, Research Associate, said: “This research amplifies the voices of children in the Youth Justice System, highlighting their desire to be asked their views about what is important to them, listened to, and be meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them.
“Through interviews and creative engagement, children shared what effective collaboration looks like—clear communication, authentic, non-hierarchical child-professional relationships, a comfortable environment, and support for their aspirations.
“I hope these findings inspire policymakers and practitioners to fully embed Child First collaboration, creating a more equitable and child-centred approach to youth justice.
“This has been such an exciting and interesting project to work on. It has been a privilege to speak with so many children and hear their views about a range of experiences - good and bad, which hopefully, will lead to positive changes to youth justice policy and practice.”
Co-investigator Dr Kathy Hampson, of Aberystwyth University, added: “There is a real opportunity here to make a difference to the way children experience youth justice.
“By giving them a seat at the table of decision-making (both for their own youth justice journey and more widely within the sector), we are much more likely to see Child First truly embedded into practice.”
The study zeroed in on the third tenet of the Child First framework – collaboration with children – and explored how their engagement can shape better outcomes across the entire Youth Justice system.
To empower children, a project reference group (PRG) of “justice-experienced” children, collaborated on all aspects of the project. They co-designed creative research methods and even recorded a rap song in a professional studio, blending their words with insights from participants.
Interviews were undertaken with children being supervised by Youth Justice Services and held in custody, and revealed four key areas:
- Respect and Communication: Children value respectful conversations, clear information, and meaningful engagement.
- Aspirations and Support: They want professionals to listen to their goals and help them achieve positive life outcomes.
- Relationships and Environment: Authentic, non-hierarchical relationships in child-friendly environments are crucial.
- Consistency Across Agencies: Experiences of collaboration vary widely, with Youth Justice Services (YJSs) often performing better than police, courts, or custodial settings.
The findings challenge youth justice agencies to embrace the principles of Child First collaboration. Practical tools, including training resources, creative methods, and the PRG’s rap, will be made available to practitioners to help embed these practices.
- For more information and for links to the report visit the project webpage.
ENDS