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Young people 'distressed' by frequent police visits at home, research warns

1 min read Youth Justice
Young people with experience of the criminal justice system say the second most common place for them to see police is at their home, with incidents often involving excessive force from officers.
Young people report frequent interactions with police in their homes. Picture: Marcus/Adobe Stock
Young people report frequent interactions with police in their homes. Picture: Marcus/Adobe Stock

Research involving a survey of 90 young people found that after "out in the community" they most frequently had contact with officers at their home.

“These interactions leave mental and physical reminders that a safe space that has been violated, through property damage, parental criminalisation, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)," warn researchers.

“These experiences are often distressing for an entire family and often increases pressure on the children involved.”

The research has been carried out by youth justice groups Alliance for Youth Justice and Leaders Unlocked, which are calling for improved training for police when dealing with young people.

One young person told researchers that police “have come to my house several times with excessive force that was not needed…had my mum on the floor, crying and haven’t given the support to fix the damage they have done to the house”.

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