Crime experienced by children and young people

The majority of children and young people live their lives without experiencing crime or being the victims of crime. But sometimes, children are the victims of crime such as theft, assault, robbery, rape and sexual assault or harassed and victimised by others.

As we can see from the graph below, the majority of crime experienced by children and young people under the age of 18 happen to young people aged 12 years and over. This is largely due to the change in lifestyle and social issues which happen in the lives of teenagers. Young people begin to have more freedom and independence, allowed to go out on their own and catch up with friends, and are allowed to roam further and for longer than when they were young. However, this is all a part of growing up and becoming a young person, and learning more about the world around them.

Even so, a total of 1789 crimes committed against children and young people (which range from theft to violent crimes such as assault or robbery) were reported to the Police during 2005-2006.

In order to help protect themselves and for us to do all we can to reduce the potential risks posed to children, we need to give children and young people with information, skills and knowledge which will help them keep safe.

Reporting Crime

Both local and national research has shown that there is a big under reporting of crime experienced by children and young people. Approximately only 20-30% of crime experienced by young people is reported to the Police. This can be for a number of reasons.

• Lack of confidence in the Police and the belief that nothing will be or can be done about it.
• Fear of reprisals.
• A belief that the crime was trivial and not worth reporting.

Why it is important to report crime

By reporting crime, the Police can advise children and parents/carers as to what will happen, what you can do about it and point you in the direction of help and support services. In order for services like the Police and Council to tackle crimes experienced by young people it is important that all these crimes are reported. If the police and the Community Safety Team know about the true level of crime and where it happens in the city, i.e. identify hot spot areas like robbery or assault, they can direct money and resources more effectively towards them.

How to report crime

There are many ways you can report crime.

• Report it to the Police by phoning 999 (for emergencies) or 0845 60 70 999 (for all non emergencies) or by visiting your local Police Station and reporting it in person. You can also report crime on the Sussex Police website at www.sussex.police.uk/reporting_crime/index.asp
• Report a crime to Brighton & Hove’s Partnership Community Safety Team. You can phone them on 01273 294646 or by visiting the office at North Street (see the’ Map of Services’ for more details).
• You can also phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is a confidential telephone line for reporting crime.
• Children should also be encouraged to talk to a Teacher, Connexions PA, Youth Worker, Parent or someone they trust about any crime they have witnessed or experienced.

What parents can do

Encouraging personal safety awareness for children is vital. However, there are no absolute answers in life and each situation your child or children come across can be different. Therefore, the important thing is that they always try to practice safe options and assess the risks with anything they do.

• They need to remember to plan ahead
• Trust their instincts
• Be aware of their surroundings
• Make a safety plan in case things goes wrong
• Always let people know where they are, i.e. parents
• That there is always someone they can turn to for help

For more information which can help see the different pages on this website, such as the ‘Keeping Children Safe’ pages, which will give you more detailed and practical advice about what parents and carers can do to help keep your children safe.

Support Services for children and young people

For more information about crime and safety services or support services for children and young people who have experienced crime or abuse see the ‘Map of Services’ or the ‘Support Services for Children and Young People’ pages on this website.

Links

www.sussex.police.uk/

Website for Sussex Police which gives you information about the Police, what they are doing in Brighton & Hove and across Sussex, how to report crime and make complaints.

www.safeinthecity.net/

Brighton & Hove’s Community Safety Team website, which tells you about the crime and disorder priorities set by the council and police in the city. This gives you information about what the council and police are planning to do to improve the safety of people in the city.

www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

Crimestoppers is a UK-wide independent charity working to stop crime. On this website you can find out different things about crime in the UK, including how it can be stopped and solved. Here you can also report crime confidentially and anonymous.

www.victimsupport.org.uk/

The victim Support website can provide you with more information about the services Victim Support can offer children and young people in the city.

www.cjsonline.gov.uk/

The Criminal Justice System website gives you information about the CJS in the UK and provides information for people who have been victims of crime, a witness, juror or if you have been accused or convicted of a crime.

www.youth-justice-board.gov.uk/

The Youth Justice Board website provides information about the youth justice system in England & Wales including who is involved, types of sentencing, judicial procedures (how courts work), information about preventing crime and reducing re-offending. Also includes the contact details for local Youth Offending Teams. These Teams co-ordinate the youth justice work in each local area.

www.caddie.gov.uk/

This website has been built by Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships across Sussex and can help you find up-to-date information about Crime and Disorder in your area.