1 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green 11 MILLION reasons to listen to children and young people’s views on weapons, violence and policing Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, Children’s Commissioner for England

2 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Today, we have a shared concern… How can we promote the best interests of children and young people? Policing through crime prevention and law enforcement is vital to safeguarding children’s best interests. There are countless children who are protected and who are safe and well today because of your efforts. I wish to pay tribute to the dedication and courage of police officers across the country.

3 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Setting the record straight I do not condone or encourage crime or antisocial behaviour. Children should be brought up to respect the law, understand the boundaries of acceptable behaviour and be held to account if they transgress those boundaries. Children who are responsible for serious violent crimes must be dealt with through the courts.

4 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) The UNCRC is an international treaty. Its 42 Articles are promises that Governments have made to children for Protection, Provision and Participation. Article 12 – the right to participation: ‘Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account.’

5 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Participation, not consultation! Consultation implies that adults ask questions and adults decide Participation means that children and young people are seriously engaged in making decisions that affect their lives What do we do?...

6 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Participation: children and young people deciding what 11 MILLION should work on…

7 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Children and young people voted on their key issues… The top votes were for: Violence, abuse and bullying (later narrowed down to ‘gun and knife crime’ by children and young people) Respect and discrimination These issues are now in our business plan for

8 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green What are children and young people telling me about guns and knives?

9 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green An 8 year- old’s perception of lack of safety on the street

10 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Scared “Gun and knife crime is really getting me worried and angry. Nothing is safe any more even on the news every day there is a new murder story and its making this world the worst place in the universe.” Mia, aged 11 Angry “It is an angry face. I decided to do a simple design because that’s how it affects my life. My mum won’t let me go on my bike to my friends house who is twenty minutes away because she is afraid of the violence.” ‘Titch’, 15 Stigmatised “The media publish that we are knife wielding maniacs and this is just not true. We are just people. The media always focus on the bad. This is a significant minority.” ‘Golden Shadow’, 14

11 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green 11 MILLION’s gun and knife crime project: an outline Quantitative study What information will support CYP in their decision making? Policy, practice and literature review What do CYP want to research? Participation 90 children and young people age targeted consultation What research gaps need to be filled? YouGov survey: representative sample (1700) of 8-17 year olds; weighted for TKAP areas C2,D and E; family background (i.e. more detailed picture of views of ‘at risk’ children)

12 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Through this project, children and young people have suggested… Promote positive images of young people to help reduce fear Remember the importance of good role models in families and communities Raise young people’s aspirations and self-esteem Give young people more things to do Peer mentoring Early intervention Effective rehabilitation for offenders Stop and search – if done the right way

13 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green The unprecedented demonisation of children and young people makes everyone more fearful… …So, “promote positive images of young people to help reduce fear”

14 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Stop and search The Children’s Commissioner DOES NOT oppose stop and search The Children’s Commissioner DOES point out that it can bring with it risks and tensions The Children’s Commissioner DOES have a duty to promote awareness of young people’s views, which are often unpopular with some sections of the media and the public The Children’s Commissioner DOES believe that engaging with young people is the way to better and safer outcomes for everyone

15 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Children and young people’s views on making stop and search better: Explain how important it is to stop and search them Don’t search young people in a public place Make positive/good conversation with young people while you are searching them Thank the young people and show your appreciation for their time Don’t jump to conclusions all the time Don't shout, don't be aggressive – show respect

16 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green ‘Stopping and searching young or vulnerable persons can be particularly intimidating for them. Officers must clearly communicate the grounds for the search using simple and easy to understand language, and check that the person has understood the grounds before continuing with the search.’ ‘Young people should be included in the consultation process, as they are often omitted from dialogue between the police and the community and their opinions and concerns are not heard.’ ACPO practice advice on stop and search, 2006

17 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green What children and young have told us about the police There is a wide RANGE of opinions, positive and negative There is AMBIVALENCE within many children’s views YOUNG children are generally very supportive of the police Many TEENAGERS are deeply hostile “Policemen are nice because they make me feel safe.” Eight year-old from Exeter “Police stop me from doing what I want. Most police are rubbish and they need the sack.” 16 year-old from Birmingham “They confiscated our football and have refused to hand it back” 16 year-old from Liverpool Some ‘wishes’ for the police… To unite police and young people and not make them hate each other Better communication and understanding between police and young people More police on the beat Please say sorry when you get it wrong

18 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Examples of good practice -Northamptonshire and Norfolk Police – initiatives include young people involved in training PCSOs. -Lewisham Police – for example safer neighbourhood policing teams with a youth panel exist in every ward to represent local young people. -Medway Youth Service, Medway Council and Strood North and South Neighbourhood Policing Team - working with young people on various projects. -Warwickshire Police and Warwickshire County Council - ‘Positive about Young People’ initiative. - Southwark police – there is a genuine desire for ‘feedback’ from children and young people, reflected in numerous initiatives to engage them.

19 “The 11 MILLION children and young people in England have a voice” Children’s Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Conclusions Most children are law abiding and want the same as adults – to be safe Children and young people are demonised and increasingly criminalised Relationships between police and children and young people are patchy – why are they good in some places and not in others? How can we learn from good practice? It is vital to see the world through the eyes of children and young people and listen