Police must prioritise children's issues if trust is to be restored

A year ago, Greater Manchester Police admitted it had failed abuse victims in Rochdale when the serious case review found a catalogue of failings. It used detectives without training in child sexual exploitation to interview potential victims, and it operated on a lack of resources and managerial oversight. It was strongly suggested that these failings had allowed sex-grooming gangs to thrive in Rochdale. In addition, there was recognition that there may have been discriminatory attitudes among police officers towards the victims.

An independent report last month by Labour MP and ex-social worker Ann Coffey warned that the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children has become the social norm in some parts of Manchester. It said the systematic grooming of boys and girls remains a "real and ongoing problem". During the review, Coffey found many of those bodies put in place to protect children and young people, such as police, social workers, prosecutors and juries, often have ingrained, subconscious prejudice against vulnerable teenagers. This would explain why there have been only 1,000 convictions out of 13,000 reported cases of major sexual offences against under-16s in the past six years in Greater Manchester.

In the same week, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Children, for which the National Children's Bureau provides the secretariat, released the findings of an 18-month inquiry into the relationship between children and the police. It found many children and young people have a profound lack of trust in the police, with some fearing police officers.

The APPG heard that children who have been trafficked or been victims of sexual exploitation are at increased risk of involvement in crime. They may commit crimes as a survival strategy, stealing food or money when fleeing from abusers. They may become criminalised as a result of their exploitation. But when these children come to the attention of the police under suspicion of having committed an offence, their status as victims can go unnoticed. The inquiry heard that the police response to child sexual exploitation and trafficking victims was a "postcode lottery", leading to different experiences and outcomes for children nationally.

This evidence demonstrates the need to build a stronger foundation for policing with the best interests of children and young people at its heart.

Good communication is crucial for police to engage with children and young people. But the inquiry found encounters between children and the police are often characterised by poor communication and a lack of mutual respect.

Certain groups of vulnerable children, such as those in care, are nearly twice as likely as their peers to be cautioned or convicted of an offence. They have negative early experiences of the police and do not always get the support and protection they need. The requirements of children with special educational needs, a language or communication difficulty, or mental health needs, are often overlooked or exacerbated in encounters with the police.

Further evidence showed that children do not always believe police are there to protect them. They can feel humiliated and concerned the police target and undermine them.

The first contact with police is vital in shaping children and young people's attitudes, yet for many, this experience is negative, and for those arrested and detained, it is traumatic and upsetting. Vulnerable children are often put in a space designed for adults, usually without separate or designated facilities for children.

The APPG report makes clear that too often, children and young people are seen by the police as "small adults", with insufficient regard for their distinct needs. So in every encounter with the police, under-18s must be treated as children first, with officers having regard to their welfare, safety and wellbeing. The inquiry did find positive examples of police forces working to listen to and engage with children. These approaches should be reflected and replicated nationwide.

We urgently need a new approach. We must ensure that all police officers are equipped and confident to put children's wellbeing, and their distinct, separate needs and rights, at the forefront of their interactions with all under-18s. For children at risk of exploitation, abuse or violence, police must know how to protect them and prioritise their welfare.

The constructive engagement shown by senior police leaders throughout the inquiry is a clear signal that change is possible, and desirable. I am looking forward to working with the APPG in following through the recommendations.

Anna Feuchtwang is chief executive of National Children's Bureau