News

A team of Northumbria University academic, led by Dr Rebecca Oswald (with Dr Samantha Walker and Professor Sarah Soppitt) have received funding  from the British Academy for an eighteen month study entitled Scrutinising ‘child first’ policy and practice and its application to children involved in serious violence

‘Child first’ is the guiding principle for the youth justice sector in England and Wales, viewing individuals under the age of 18 who offend as ‘children first and offenders second’. However, evidence suggests that those children who are involved in serious youth violence (SYV), many of whom may have also experienced grooming and exploitation, are still being criminalised, with the levels of harm they have experienced often overlooked. This research will explore if/how ‘child first’ narratives are being applied across the multiple social systems young people who are involved in SYV encounter, such as criminal justice, health, social care, education and the third sector, and the efficacy of such an approach. Furthermore, through this investigation into what ‘child first’ means in policy and practice, we aim to develop a shared understanding of these amongst the various agencies, to promote a non-criminalising, safeguarding and public health approach to tackling SYV. Dr Oswald and the team will be updating members of the network with their progress and findings in the regular network meetings.

Should you wish to be involved in the study, or have further questions please contact saferchildren@northumbria.ac.uk