Speaking at an event entitled Moving on from the Riots at the National Children and Adult Services Conference in London, Atkinson said many young people involved in the disturbances had simply got "caught up" in the excitement.
She also said the nature of the secure estate meant that with increased numbers of young people being imprisoned as a result of the riots, councillors and officials had a responsibility to scrutinise those secure settings.
"The stark figures about what happens to children and young people in our youth justice system, even the most humane settings, are really important for us all to learn," Atkinson said. "Children who are incarcerated are 18 times more likely to take their own lives; seven out of 10 of them will reoffend. What we are doing to children and young people in the secure estate in particular needs constant scrutiny.
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