Reflecting on the UK Riots: The Impact on Arrested Teenagers and the Urgent Need for Change

The UK riots in August 2024 brought to light significant issues facing the nation’s young people, with a worrying number of teenagers involved in the disturbances. As the situation has calmed, it’s become clear that many of those arrested were young people, prompting crucial discussions about how the justice system handles teenagers and what steps can be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

Teenage Arrests: An Alarming Development

In the wake of the riots, various reports have detailed the significant involvement of teenagers in the widespread violence and disorder. As of Friday 16 August, police across the country have made more than 1,000 arrests, over 400 have been charged, of which at least 72 of those are under the age of 18. The youngest, are two 12-year-old boys, arrested and convicted of violence and disorder; similarly, a girl aged just 13, pleaded guilty to violent disorder outside a hotel for asylum seekers – all are facing serious charges. This trend is particularly concerning because a criminal record can have long-lasting repercussions on a young person’s future, including their education and employment prospects.

Listen to Executive Director of Youth Endowment Fund, Jon Yates discuss this on BBC Radio 5 Live.

However, it also contrasts sharply with recent trends showing improvements in young people’s involvement in the criminal justice system. According to the Youth Endowment Fund’s report, Beyond the Headlines 2024, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of young people entering the justice system over the past decade. The report highlights that youth custody rates have decreased by 73% since 2010.

These improvements reflect the effectiveness of targeted interventions and early support mechanisms aimed at steering young people away from crime. Yet, the recent riots show that there is still much work to be done. The involvement of young people in the 2024 riots serves as a stark reminder that despite these positive trends, certain underlying issues including racist, Islamophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments persist. This suggests that while the overall number of young people involved in the justice system has decreased, we need to address the root causes that lead some young people to engage in criminal behaviour, especially during periods of social unrest.

Read more on this from Public Affairs and Communications Director, Ciaran Thapar

The Need for a New Approach: Insights from the Arrested Children Guidance Report

The Youth Endowment Fund’s Arrested Children Guidance Report provides essential recommendations on how the justice system can better support young people involved in crime and violence. The report emphasises the importance of diverting young people away from traditional criminal justice processes, which often do more harm than good.

Key recommendations from the report include:

1. Police have the incentives to use diversion – Outcome 22 refers to a specific disposal within the crime outcomes reporting framework. It involves the police putting on hold a prosecution or caution until diversionary activity is completed. Currently this is not recorded as a positive outcome which disincentivises police from taking an approach which the evidence suggests could lead to less reoffending.
2. Police are confident in responding to vulnerable children – each arrest of a child should be treated as a safeguarding opportunity to identify those who are vulnerable or being exploited.
3. Funding reflects needs – funding for youth justice services should be reviewed to better support evidence-based diversionary work.
4. Faster referrals – arrested children should receive support quickly, normally within four weeks of arrest.
5. Youth justice services and policing staff should prioritise what works – all youth justice services and relevant policing staff should be confident about which approaches are most likely to help a child who has been referred.
6. Access to therapy – arrested children should have reliable access to therapeutic support.
7. Better data – there should be accurate and timely data on how many children receive support after arrest and what sort of support they receive.

Moving Forward: A Call to Action

The August 2024 riots have highlighted the urgent need to rethink our approach to crime involving young people in the UK. The significant number of teenagers caught up in the unrest is a clear indication that more needs to be done to support young people before they reach a crisis point. While the legal system must address criminal behaviour, it is equally important to focus on prevention and rehabilitation.

The recommendations outlined in the Youth Endowment Fund’s report offer a pathway forward that prioritises the well-being of young people while also addressing public safety concerns. By investing in early intervention, restorative justice, and educational support, we can help steer young people away from the criminal justice system and towards a brighter future.

The events of August 2024 should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers, educators, and communities alike. It is time to adopt a more compassionate and effective approach to youth justice, one that recognises the potential for change in every young person and works tirelessly to help them achieve it.