GovWire

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is pleased to announce the launch of a ground-breaking new animation aimed at reducing the over-representation of Black and Mixed heritage children in the youth justice system.

The video will be a vital resource aimed at raising awareness about the issue of adultification in the youth justice system, and aiding understanding of the concept. It has been commissioned as part of the London Accommodation Resettlement Partnership and funded through the YJB.

Adultification is the harmful practice of perceiving and treating certain children, especially Black and Mixed heritage children, as adults. This bias denies the childhood experiences and vulnerabilities of certain children, often leading to their behaviours being judged as more mature or intentional than they are.

This new animated video is designed to raise awareness and deepen understanding of adultification bias among professionals working in the youth justice system. Through engaging visuals and compelling audio from children in the justice system, the animation helps professionals identify adultification in their own thinking and behaviour, fostering better practices that ultimately lead to more positive outcomes for children.

Watch the animation to help challenge systemic bias and create a fairer youth justice system for all children.

Constructive Resettlement - Adultification Animation

YJB statistics show that Black and Mixed heritage children are over-represented in all areas of youth justice, and it is one of the YJBs strategic objectives to reduce persistent racial disparities in the youth justice system.

The YJBs Chief Executive, Stephanie Roberts Bibby says:

Adultification bias is a manifestation of racism. The unique needs of childrensuch as developmental and emotional factors cannot be overlooked or dismissed. It is our goal to eradicate this from the youth justice system and this animation is another critical step forward towards this.

Our research shows, Black and Mixed Heritage boys are frequently subjected to adultification bias, causing them to be viewed as older, less innocent, and more responsible for their actions than children of other ethnicities. This can result in harsher treatment and outcomes within the justice system.

Understanding and addressing adultification is a crucial step in tackling racial disparities. By challenging these deeply ingrained biases, we can move closer to creating a fairer and more equitable system for all children, which will reduce offending and lead to fewer victims and safer communities.

Keith Fraser, Chair of the YJB Board, says:

Public awareness of adultification is essential to supporting policies and practices that reduce racial disparities and promote fairness in the youth justice system. By encouraging better awareness and understanding, resources such as this animation will help to prevent the over-representation of Black and Mixed Heritage children in the youth justice system, ultimately leading to more positive outcomes.

I encourage you to use this animation which serves as an important tool to complement training and induction materials for professionals across policing, courts, youth justice, education, health, and other key sectors, and we will be writing to our partners across the sector to ask them to include this in their training and inductions for new and existing professionals in their sectors.

YJB Annual Statistics 2022-2023

1. Black children account for 6% of all children aged between 10 and 17-years-old, and yet our 2022-2023statistics tell us:

2. Black children account for 26% of the youth custody population.

3. A third of children on remand in youth custody are Black children (33%), with almost two thirds of children on remand receiving a non-custodial sentence.

4. Black children account for 11% of all children cautioned or sentenced.

5. The number of?Mixed heritage children increased by 12% compared with the previous year.

6. Mixed heritage children accounted for 16% of those remanded in youth custody in the latest year, which is a slight increase on the previous year and five percentage points higher than 10 years ago (11%)

7. The proportion of Mixed heritage children in custody has increased the most out of all ethnicities, from 9% to 15% over the last 10 years.

The next annual statistics are planned for release on 30 January 2025.

About the Youth Justice Board

The YJB is the only organisation to have complete oversight of the entire youth justice system. The YJB works to ensure that all children receive fair treatment and that interventions are designed to help prevent reoffending. The YJBs vision is for a youth justice system that sees children as children, treats them fairly and helps them to build on their strengths so they can make a constructive contribution to society. This will prevent offending and create safer communities with fewer victims.