A new survey by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) reveals that while most teenagers in England and Wales support police stop and search, many question whether it is used fairly. 

The YEF — a government-backed charity focused on preventing violence — surveyed 10,000 children aged 13 to 17 about their views of the police. The results show that 68% believe the police should have stop and search powers (while 11% disagree and 21% are unsure).  However, only 56% think the police use these powers fairly (18% think the police don’t use stop and search fairly and 24% are unsure). 

Differences in support and fairness 

Support for stop and search and perceptions of fairness differ across ethnic groups. While 70% of White children support its use, this drops to 63% among Asian and mixed ethnicity children and 59% for Black children. Regarding fairness, just under half of Black and mixed ethnicity teens (49%) feel stop and search is applied fairly, compared to 54% of Asian and 57% of White teenage children. 

Experiences of stop and search 

Among the 11% of teenage children surveyed who had been stopped and searched in the past year, 70% said the police were polite and 66% felt treated with respect.  

However, children from Asian, Black, mixed and other ethnic backgrounds are significantly less likely to feel they were treated respectfully by the police. While 74% of White children found the police to be polite, only 59% of minority ethnic children felt the same. Similarly, 70% of White children felt respected by the police, compared to just 54% of children from minority ethnic backgrounds. 

Effectiveness of stop and search 

The YEF’s review of stop and search, published earlier this year, suggests that increasing its use has limited impact on reducing violence, with two UK studies estimating a 5% reduction in violent crime. In contrast, other policing strategies, such as hot spots policing, reduced violence by 14%, and focused deterrence programmes cut crime, on average, by 33%. 

The review also raises concerns about potential negative effects on children and communities. Research indicates that those subjected to stop and search may face higher rates of mental and physical health issues and develop more negative attitudes toward the police, though it’s unclear if these are directly caused by the stop and search experience. 

Teens’ views on the police 

Just over half (54%) of teenagers believe the police do a good job in their local area, while 17% disagree and 28% remain unsure. 

These perceptions vary significantly across ethnic groups. Sixty-three per cent of Black teens think the police are doing a good job, compared to 54% of White teens and 50% of those from mixed ethnicity backgrounds. However, Black and mixed ethnicity teens are more sceptical about fairness and the appropriate use of force. Only 36% of mixed ethnicity teens and 39% of Black teens believe the police treat everyone fairly, compared to 47% of White teens. Similarly, Asian (47%), Black (42%), and mixed ethnicity (39%) teens are less likely to agree that the police only use force when necessary, compared to 52% of White teens. 

The findings indicate that teenage children who have had direct contact with the police —whether through being stopped and searched, dealing with a school police officer or being arrested — tend to view the police more positively than those who haven’t. For instance, 59% of teens with police contact believe the police do a good job in their area, compared to 53% with no contact. 

Jon Yates, CEO of the Youth Endowment Fund, said: “Stop and search is a necessary police power and, as our findings show, most teenagers support its use. However, it must be applied fairly, or it risks further damaging the fragile trust that many young people, particularly those from minority backgrounds, already have in the police.” 

The YEF’s annual Children, Violence and Vulnerability report offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of children’s experiences with violence in England and Wales. The findings in this release are from the fourth report in the series

What do children and young people think about the police?

Previous reports in this year’s series include

Who is affected by violence?

What role does social media play in violence affecting young people?

How do boys and girls experience violence?