This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: New research co-led by the University of Bedfordshire and the University of Lancashire has highlighted the need for more consistent child-centered and safeguarding-led approaches across policing, with children and young people's experiences varying depending on where they live, whom they encounter, the reason for these encounters and how well systems support frontline practice. Two new studies examine how policing can better build trust with children and young people and strengthen safeguarding responses for children affected by violence.
The studies were led by Professor Debra Allnock from the Safer Young Lives Research Centre at the University of Bedfordshire and Professor Helen Beckett from the Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm at the University of Lancashire. The first study, "Child-centered policing in practice: Insights from children and young people," explored how police can build trust, listen to children and ensure they have a meaningful voice in encounters with officers. Crucially, the study found that children and young people judge policing as much by how they do things as what they do.
They identified fairness, respect, clear communication, emotional safety and genuine opportunities to be heard as key to building trust. Being listened to meant more than simply being given an opportunity to speak—children wanted their views taken into account, to understand what would happen next and to receive follow-ups where appropriate. The study identifies eight child-centered policing principles, including communication, fair treatment, voice and participation, welfare-first and follow-through.
These have been translated into practical guidance for frontline officers. The research also highlights how identity and previous experiences can shape encounters with police. Black children and young people described experiences of suspicion, adultification and racialized assumptions, while neurodivergent children and young people and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) highlighted the impact of unmet sensory, communication and processing needs, particularly during fast-paced or high-stress encounters.
The second study, "Safeguarding children involved in violence: Insights for best practice in policing," examined how police can better safeguard and protect children involved in violence, including both children who are known or suspected to perpetrate harm and those who experience it. It found strong, in-principle support within policing for safeguarding-led approaches, but significant variation in the degree to which these are practically implemented, both within and across forces. While examples of proactive safeguarding-led responses to children involved in violence exist, the inconsistent application of such approaches results in unnecessary escalation and criminalization, unrecognized vulnerabilities and needs, and consequent missed opportunities for protective intervention.
This is particularly observable in frontline practice for children from minoritized ethnicities, those with SEND and children known or suspected to be causing harm. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. d research that matter—daily or weekly. The study identifies 10 principles of best practice for safeguarding children affected by violence, including approaches that are child-centered, trauma-informed, anti-discriminatory and preventative.
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