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Proposal Aims to Reduce Criminalizing Vulnerable Youth in State Care
18 Nov
Summary
- Vulnerable youth in care won't automatically face arrest or charges for assaults, property damage
- Review to explore trauma-informed support instead of criminal justice system
- Children in care 10 times more likely to receive cautions or convictions than those not in care
In a significant policy shift, the UK government is set to review how children in state care who exhibit challenging behavior can be offered targeted support rather than being punished through the criminal justice system. The review, expected to report in the spring of 2026, aims to tighten an existing protocol introduced in 2018 that discouraged police involvement for "low-level behavior management."
Under the new proposals, vulnerable young people in care who assault staff or damage property will not automatically be arrested or charged. Instead, the focus will be on providing trauma counseling and other specialized support to address the root causes of their behavior. This marks an effort to restrict the "over-policing" of looked-after youth and reduce the disproportionate number of children in care who receive cautions or convictions - a staggering 10 times higher than those not in the care system.
The children's commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, has welcomed the review, citing numerous cases where traumatized children in care have been subjected to "heavy-handed criminal punishment" rather than the care and support they desperately need. The aim is to ensure these vulnerable young people are treated as children, not criminals, and given a chance to change the trajectory of their lives.
