Participation · Research Findings
“It’s just about the respect really”: children’s views on safeguarding practice within the police
“There was a lot of things which I did want to go to the police for, but I was just too scared”
16 year old young woman, taking part in the 2015 studyThis post shares findings from work carried out over the summer of 2015, when researchers asked 45 children and young people across England who had come into contact with the police because of safeguarding concerns what the police did well, and what they needed to do better.
The research was undertaken on behalf of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, and it set out to listen directly to the young people whose experiences the practice is meant to protect. One of the clearest themes to emerge was that the attitude shown by officers — the respect children were shown — shaped whether they felt able to approach the police at all.
What the children said
- Participants spoke about what the police had done well, and where they felt practice had fallen short in responding to safeguarding concerns.
- Barriers to approaching police included fear, and a belief that they would not be taken seriously.
- Respect in interactions stood out as a decisive factor in young people’s confidence in the police.
Full report
The full report is available through the National Centre of Expertise, the new CSE and Policing Knowledge Hub. The Centre’s main website also carries details of related projects and publications.
National Centre of Expertise · International Centre, University of Bedfordshire
Related reading
The International Centre Blog also carries accounts of participatory work with children and young people, including consultations with Youth Advisors across Albania, Bulgaria and the UK, and personal reflections from young people on safeguarding practice.
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For enquiries about this research, contact helen.beckett@uniofbedscse.com.