New Report Says It's "Shocking" That Nobody Know The Number Of Children Who Fall Victim To Crime Each Year

A report by Victim Support and the University of Bedfordshire for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Victims and Witnesses of Crime has found that some young people see crimes such as robbery, theft and assault as a normal part of growing up and do not even see themselves as victims.

Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, said: 'It’s shocking that nobody knows how many children fall victim to crime every year. Understanding the scale of the problem is an essential first step to tackling it.

'Part of the challenge, as we know through our direct work with children, is how difficult it is for young people - particularly those who have been groomed or sexually exploited - to tell someone about abuse they experienced.

'When children are brave enough to come forward, too often the professionals who should be protecting them let them down, by failing to believe them or by dismissing them as troublesome. Overall professionals must get better at identifying children who may be victims, supporting them when they disclose abuse and helping them after they have come forward. And schools need to teach children about healthy relationships and consent, so young people are better able to recognise abuse and know where to turn.'

Children's Commissioner's Report Says Child-On-Child Abuse Is Shocking

An official report by the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England says that "shocking" sexual violence is being carried out by children against other children. The report says that the perpetrators could be 12 or 13, and rape is seen as "normal and inevitable" in some areas, especially among gangs. It also claims that bullying and sexist attitudes exist across the whole country.

The Research conducted by the University of Bedfordshire into sexual violence in gangs (It's wrong but you get used to it) suggested two-thirds of young people questioned (65%) knew of young women who had been pressurised or coerced into sexual activity. 


The report is the result of a two-year inquiry by the children's commissioner into child exploitation and gangs. It is being published alongside research on young people's understanding of consent to sex, and a study on the pressures on young people who have been raised in gang-affected neighbourhoods. It says legislation is there to protect children but agencies from the police to social services need to become far better at spotting children at risk and providing them with the necessary protection.

Youth Justice Statistics Released For 2011/12

Youth Justice statistics for 2011 - 2012 have now been released by the Youth Justice Board. They show that the number of children entering the criminal justice system for the first time is falling but that there has been a 17 per cent rise in the number of times restraint was used against children aged 10 to 17 in custody in England and Wales.

The report is available to download here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/youth-justice/yjb-stats-2011-12.pdf

Alarms Over New Trend In Online Sex Abuse

Photograph by Photark

New research by the Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has revealed that children are increasingly being groomed over the Internet for online sexual abuse.

Only 7% of the 1,145 online abuse cases reported to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in 2012 involved people trying to meet a child.

Peter Davies, chief executive of Ceop - which monitors child abuse online - said: "We've seen a drop in the amount of grooming with a view to meeting offline. That's still a risk but it's a diminishing risk.
"The growth area seems to be grooming, contact, and then sexual abuse purely online. We really need to make sure that young people are target hardened [sic] against that.

The research by CEOP and the University of Birmingham is available to read online here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135917891200122X 

Child Arrests Continue To Fall Says Howard League

Photograph by J D Mack

Figures compiled by the Howard League for Penal Reform suggest that the number of children arrested by the police has fallen by a third since 2008. 

Police arrested 209,000 under-18s in 2011, down from 315,923 in 2008. The Howard League said 10 forces in England and Wales had halved the number of children taken into custody.

 The figures, compiled through a freedom of information request to all 43 police forces in England and Wales, include more than 2,100 children aged 10 - which is the age of criminal responsibility - and 11.

The director of campaigns at the Howard League, Andrew Neilson, said a move away from a mandatory target system for police was likely to be the main reason for the third successive fall.

He said: "In 2008, the first year we have data for, the target culture was coming to an end.

"At that time, police services were being ranked on the number of arrests they were processing, and to a degree children were low-hanging fruit that helped the police reach their arrest targets.

"While some police services still use these targets informally, we are seeing a move back towards a discretion-led, common sense approach, and that's reflected in the figures.

"I suspect there are a lot of things that the police are doing to reduce arrests, ranging from restorative justice disposals to triage arrangements at police stations, where a youth offending team worker will interview a young person to see if there are any welfare issues."

International Crackdown On Human Trafficking

Immigration Minister Mark Harper has joined with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to call on international partners to redouble efforts against human trafficking. He outlined work the government is undertaking to tackle this crime, both in the UK and overseas. This includes:

• work with embassies and high commissions of key source countries
• collaboration between the Metropolitan Police, the Romanian National Police and the Romanian Embassy to share intelligence
• work by Border Force officials to identify victims
• victim care under a contract run by the Salvation Army

Mark Harper said: 'Human trafficking is an atrocious crime that requires a strong and robust approach, both from within the UK and internationally.


'The government will continue to identify what further we can do to stop people from becoming victims in the first place and, if they do, how we can best support them to recover and recuperate from their terrible ordeal.

'Our aim is to build on our collective efforts with international partners so far to continue to support victims and to identify and punish perpetrators.'

The top five countries for trafficking, based on potential victims referred through the UK's victim care system, are Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania, China and Slovakia. The top ten countries accounted for more than 64% of all referrals in 2011.









 

Mexxy, Black Mamba & Other 'Legal Highs' To Be Banned

The Home Office has announced  that a number of so-called ‘legal highs’ will become illegal Class B drugs.

Following advice from the government's independent drug experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), new synthetic cannabinoids (such as those sold under the name 'Black Mamba') and methoxetamine (sold as Mexxy) and its related compounds will be classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

The decision comes days after the ACMD recommended banning the substances because of their health and social harms. Minister for Crime Prevention Jeremy Browne said: 'High quality scientific advice is vital to the government's ongoing work to tackle harmful drug use. The independent advice we receive from the ACMD is critical to our evidence-based drugs policy.

'People who take 'legal highs' are taking serious risks with their lives because often they do not know what they are taking and the drugs may contain harmful substances.'


Since March this year, methoxetamine has been subject of the UK's first temporary class drug order (TCDO) following advice from the ACMD. It will remain a temporary class drug until parliament approves its classification. In its advice on methoxetamine the ACMD has indicated that the temporary ban may have had 'real and immediate impact on tackling internet sales of methoxetamine with a significant proportion of UK websites ceasing to advertise its sale.'

The government has also agreed to implement the ACMD's other recommendations on these substances including updating public health information on the drugs awareness website Frank.

International crack down on human trafficking | Home Office

Immigration Minister Mark Harper has joined with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to call on international partners to redouble efforts against human trafficking. You can read what he had to say and more facts about human trafficking here:
International crack down on human trafficking | Home Office

Latest Statstics From The Home Office On Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches Great Britain 2011/12 Released

Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches Great Britain 2011/12 | Home Office

New Report Says That Possessing Small Amounts Of Drugs Shouldn't Be A Crime

A new report from the UK Drug Policy Commission urges that the penalties for drug misuse be relaxed so that possession of small amounts of drugs would no longer be a crime.

The Commission undertook six years of research and concludes the UK is wasting much of the £3bn it spends each year on tackling illicit drugs.

Its report, called A Fresh Approach to Drugs, says the annual estimated cost to England and Wales of class A drug use is £15bn.It says that while drug use and drug problems have declined in the UK in recent years, there are still about 2,000 drug-related deaths each year and 380,000 problem drug users.

The Home Office says drug use is falling and it does not plan to alter its approach.

You can read the full story on the BBC News website here.

'Mate Crime': Fake Friend Abuse Can Lead To Murder Of Those With Learning Disabilities

In recent years, a severely under-reported element of learning disability hate crime has been identified as so-called "mate crime". It can include physical abuse, torture and even murder.

Steven Hoskin had learning disabilities and endured months of abuse from people he believed to be his friends. He was tortured and taken to a viaduct where he was forced to hang by his fingers from railings. His hands were then stamped on causing him to fall 100ft (30m) to his death in 2006.

Steven was a victim of what is now being called "mate crime", a type of hate crime where perpetrators befriend vulnerable people with learning disabilities and exploit them.

An organisation was so worried about the instances of mate crime that it started a campaign to highlight the problem. The Association for Real Change (ARC UK) launched its Safety Net campaign in 2009, running for three years.

Rod Landman, ARC UK regional development officer, says that financial abuse is typical of mate crime. A couple of years ago he met a group of young people with Asperger's who talked about their "Tuesday friends".

"Tuesday is the day that their benefits get paid and so a particular group of people would turn up and help them to the cash point, help them to the pub and help them spend all their money.

"Then they don't see them again for another week," Mr Landman adds.

ARC UK is concerned that, without a sustained national campaign, more vulnerable adults will be abused by people pretending to be their friends. Identifying and tackling mate crime is complicated. Victims often do not understand what is happening to them or are too afraid to tell anyone.

ARC UK also points out that people with learning disabilities often find it hard to make friendships of any sort. When it comes to abusive friendships, they can often feel "any friend is better than no friend at all".

Mr Landman says that from his experience around 99.9% of learning disability mate crime goes unreported. One of the key points of the Mental Capacity Act states "every adult has the right to make his or her own decisions and must be assumed to have capacity to make them unless it is proved otherwise".
This includes bad decisions as well as good decisions.

Living in isolation can make people more vulnerable to these "fake friends" - it is believed that it goes on unnoticed more in rural areas.

Stephen Brookes from the Disability Hate Crime Network points to figures from Cumbria. In 2011, there were only four reports of disability hate crime and one prosecution in the county, while there more than 900 prosecutions in all across England and Wales. Mr Brookes says that in rural areas people do not know how to report these crimes and there is not enough support.

As social media takes off, the internet is becoming the new place for mate crime to be acted out. When it comes to tackling this hidden form of abuse, Mr Landman believes we are only just scratching the surface.

This issue was discussed on BBC Radio 4's You & Yours programme which you can listen to here.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

Report On Youth Offending Work In Bedfordshire

HM Institute of Probation has published an inspection report on youth offending services in Bedfordshire.

The report states: “We found a staff team committed to delivering quality interventions with children and young people, supported by effective partnership working. The areas for improvement are recognised by managers and attention is being paid to provide more consistent oversight of Risk of Harm work. As such, Bedfordshire YOS is in a strong position to build upon the strengths identified by this inspection.”

The report is available to read here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/hmiprob/youth-inspection-reports/core-case/bedfordshire-cci.pdf

Calls For Greater Use Of Mental Health Treatment For Offenders With Mental Health Problems

More news from the Centre for Mental Health. They have published a new briefing paper which looks at the provision of mental health care for adults in the criminal justice system.

The paper states "Despite the fact that we know that as many as a quarter of offenders have a mental illness its disappointing to discover that since its introduction in 2005 the mental health treatment requirement still represents well-under 1 per cent of all requirements issued."

Sean Duggan, Centre for Mental Health chief executive said, commenting on recent figures from the Ministry of Justice that show a fall in the number of Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs) issued as part of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order "Our research has shown that the MHTR has unfilled potential as an option for community sentences. By engaging offenders with mental health problems in effective treatment in the community, the MHTR has to potential to improve an individual's mental health and wellbeing and reduce the chances of reoffending.

You can read more about this briefing paper here: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_MHTR.aspx

First Reading Of The Crime & Courts Bill

The Crime & Courts Bill has received its first Reading in the Lords. The Bill contains the following key elements relating to children:

• A National Crime Agency will be established to tackle serious organised and complex crime including sexual abuse and exploitation of children and cyber crime; 
• A Single County Court system and a Family Court will be established to allow greater flexibility and increase the efficiency of the civil and family court systems in England and Wales; Enabling the introduction, in limited circumstances, of court broadcasting; 
• A new offence of driving or being in charge of a vehicle with concentrations of specified controlled substances in excess of specified levels will be introduced.

You can read a summary of the Bill here: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2012-13/crimeandcourts.html

'Sarah's Law' Protects More Than 200 Children In First Year

The Home Office has announced that more than 200 children have been protected from potential harm during the first year of the child sex offender disclosure scheme.

Over the last 12 months the police have received more than 1,600 enquiries and over 900 formal applications. At least 160 disclosures relating to child sex offences have been made, together with at least 58 made concerning other offences.

The scheme, known as 'Sarah's Law', was rolled out across all police forces in England and Wales from 4 April 2011. It allows anyone to ask the police to check whether people who have contact with children pose a risk.

If the individual has convictions for sexual offences against children or poses a risk of causing harm then the police can choose to disclose this information to the parent, carer or guardian.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: 'Thanks to Sarah's Law, we know that more than 200 children have been protected from potential harm over the last year.

'We are doing everything we can to protect the public, and especially children, from predatory sex offenders by tightening the law and closing loopholes. But families themselves have a vital role to play.

'It is important that parents, guardians and carers are aware of the disclosure scheme and their right to request information if they have concerns.'

Anyone wishing to make an application should make contact with their local police force.

Female Offenders: The Corston Report - Five Years On

Here's some useful material for anyone interested in the needs of female offenders.

Justice Minister Lord McNally visited the Hammersmith-based women’s community centre, Minerva, to see first-hand how significant investment has helped bring about changes in the way women are dealt with in the criminal justice system.

Much has been done to address the needs of female offenders since Baroness Corston led a review on women in the criminal justice system five years ago. One of the key aims of the Minerva Project is to reduce the number of avoidable family breakdowns (specifically in relation to children).

You can read the full press release here.

Hate Crime Action Plan: Challenge It, Report It, Stop It

The Home Office has just published a new action plan "Challenge It, Report It, Stop It". The plan is their blueprint to combat hate crime by preventing it happening, increasing its reporting and by working with the agencies within the Criminal Justice System to improve their responses.

Hate crime involves any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic. The definition covers five main strands, in particular - disability, gender-identity, race, religion or faith and sexual orientation.

Panorama: Britain's Crimes Of Honour

At 8.30 pm this evening (Monday 19th March) on BBC1 Panorama looks at the issue of "Honour Crimes". Afterwards the programme will be available on BBC iplayer.

The description of the programme is as follows: Thousands of crimes in Britain are going unreported: beatings, imprisonment - even murder - committed by those closest to the victims, their families. These are crimes of so-called 'honour'.

With access to police investigations, Panorama reveals the shocking details of 'honour' killings, of women driven to suicide and also hears from those on the run, in fear of their lives.

The UK's lead prosecutor on 'honour' crimes says he will not tolerate multicultural sensitivities when it comes to this issue and a leading campaigner accuses her own community leaders of a failure of leadership in not speaking out against this abuse.

You can read an article on this issue by Jane Corbin, the programme's presenter here.

Links Between Care, Offending & Custody

A new report by the National Children's Bureau for the Prison Reform Trust indicates that the term "looked after" may be a misnomer for some children in care. The Report is "Care a stepping stone to custody: the views of children in care on the links between care, offending and custody" by Rachel Blades, Di Hart, Joanna Lea and Natasha Willmott.

Most children are taken into care because they have been abused, neglected or experienced family breakdown. The state is supposed to look after them and protect them from further harm. Yet looked after children are far more likely to be convicted of a crime and end up in custody than other children - fewer than 1% of all children in England were looked after at 31st March 2011 yet the 2010-11 annual survey of 15-18 year olds in prison found that more than a quarter of boys (27%), and over half of girls (55%), had been in care at some point before being sentenced to custody.
Published December 2011
http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/careasteppingstonetocustody.pdf [PDF 2MB]

New Report About Trauma & Violence in the Lives of Young People

A new report by Roger Grimshaw for the Centre for Crime & Justice Studies has been published: My story: young people talk about the trauma and violence in their lives.

The report was compiled through a series of in-depth conversations with young people imprisoned for serious violent acts. It offers an insight into the kind of severe, multiple and prolonged trauma experienced by many who while still children go on to perpetrate violent offences. The trauma recounted by the story tellers includes: witnessing domestic violence; abandonment and loss; neglect; sexual and physical abuse; kidnapping; growing up in a family where crime and violence is a normal state of affairs.
Published 23 November 2011
http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/mystory.html