Nearly one in eight children in custody is there mainly because they have breached a statutory order. They have not committed a further crime or act of antisocial behaviour - their only offence has been a failure to comply with the original order's conditions.
These are often children with chaotic lives who have difficulty understanding what is expected of them, or have limited ability to carry it out. For example, some children do not have parents who get them up in the morning: others are expected to keep to a curfew in spite of living in a violent home. If orders are long and onerous, children can become discouraged and stop trying.
At NCB, we are proposing a refocusing away from compliance, which can be superficial, towards interventions that will achieve real change in children's attitudes and behaviour. Practitioners working with children should be allowed the flexibility to use their judgment in determining what will work with each individual.
Antisocial behaviour orders are particularly problematic. They last far too long, and children are not entitled to an assessment of the reasons for their behaviour, or any support to help them.
Before punishing children, the system has to take greater account of why they are not complying. Only by focusing on interventions that genuinely support children to bring about the necessary changes in their lives do we achieve better outcomes for everyone.
Into the Breach is available from http://bit.ly/kgUN44.
Di Hart is principal officer for youth justice and welfare at NCB
