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Looking at the safety and crime issues which affect the lives of children and young people, we can see that the older they get more risks they potentially face and more crimes are committed against them. While it is important to note that the majority of young people are not victims of crime, the graph below shows that, from the age of 11/12 years old onwards there is an increase in the number of ‘reported’ crimes committed against young people. (Data provided by Sussex Police for 2005-2006)
This increase is influenced by a number of factors, the most important being the change in the amount of independence gained from parents control and the significant changes in the social and lifestyle issues affecting the lives of young people. i.e. From the ages of 11/12 young people develop new friendships, become more independent, experience the wider world, begin to be influenced more by their friend rather than parents and family and their behaviour becomes more influenced by a desire to become adults (or) changes in their hormones and emotions. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, and indeed these are an inevitable part of growing up and learning new skills, both young people and parents/carers need to be aware of the increase in risks. Key Safety Issues for 12-15 year olds
Bullying & harassment Bullying and harassment can be a serious issue in the lives of young teenagers. Due to the significant changes due to lifestyle issues, social interaction and peer pressure, young people can often find themselves at the receiving end of bullying and harassment from other young people. For more information see the ‘Bullying & Harassment’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Victims of crime As the graph at the top of the page shows, the number of crimes committed against children and young people begin to increase from the ages of 11/12 onwards. Research shows that approximately half of these crimes are violent assaults and robberies. A third are thefts, while the remainder include crimes such as harassment or victimisation. For more information see the ‘Crime & Personal Safety’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Rape & sexual assault Rape and sexual assault of children and young people is understandably a serious concern for any parent or carer. National research carried out by the NSPCC estimates that, by the age of 16, approximately 10% of young people, both girls and boys, are the survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault. Even though the ‘reporting’ of these crimes can be very low, research shows that there is a similar pattern to the graph above in the increase in the number of these crimes being committed as young people get older. This shows that the risks increase by age, especially for the over 12 year olds, as young people’s lifestyles and social interactions change. While the majority of childhood sexual abuse, for under 12 year olds, are committed by someone the child knows, i.e. family members or family friends, the over 12 year olds are more likely to be at risk from a friend, acquaintance, someone they have just met or a stranger. For more information see the ‘Rape & Sexual assault’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Relationship abuse Even though the law prohibits young people under the age of 16 to become sexually active, the reality is that some young people begin relationships at an early age. As young people begin to develop interest in relationships and start to have boyfriends or girlfriends, they should become aware of the need for them to develop healthy and happy relationships. The idea that domestic abuse and violence only happens to adults is a myth and often young people can find themselves in potentially abusive and controlling relationships. To find out more about this see the ‘Relationship Abuse’ page on this website for more information. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Domestic violence Both national and local research shows that witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse and violence can have a serious impact upon children and young people. It is clear that children become aware of domestic violence happening at an early age and experience a range of emotions, and can have a great impact upon their behaviour. In some cases domestic violence is linked to child abuse and the child themselves could be being physically or sexually abused. However, as research clearly shows, witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse itself should be considered emotional abuse of children. See the ‘Domestic Violence’ pages on this website for more information. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. However, if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or violence these pages also include information about national and city wide support services which can offer help and advice. Hate crimes As young people, from the ages of 11/12 onward, get older and begin to have more contact with other young people, older young people and adults, they are exposed to a variety of different beliefs and ideas. Some of these beliefs influence hatred of others and of different people such as members of Black and Minority Ethnic groups (BME) or Lesbians, Gay, Bisexuals and Transgender people (LGBT) etc. Young people from BME communities or backgrounds and young people who may be LGBT can become the targets of abuse and harassment by others. For more information about hate crimes see the ‘Hate Crime’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Substance misuse As children get older, and their lifestyles change, they may become tempted to experiment with alcohol and/or drugs. While this is a worry for all parents and carers providing young people with information and education about these substances is one of the only ways in which the risks they may experience can be reduced. Drugs and especially alcohol play a significant role in violent crimes such as assault, robbery, rape and sexual assault. All these issues become increasingly relevant to young people as they begin to experiment with things associated with adult life. For more information about substances misuse see the ‘Substance Misuse’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Child exploitation The exploitation of young people aged 12-15 involves the coercion, manipulation and/or forcing them to become sexually active. This largely involves the sexual exploitation of young people through involvement in prostitution. At no point do young people willingly become involved in prostitution, but are rather forced into it by older young people or adults who want to profit out of sexual abuse. Often the key risk factors for young people being exploited include substance misuse (drugs & alcohol), homelessness, poor family background (including being in the care system) and lack of emotional support in their early life. However, young people from all social and economic backgrounds and cultures can become involved in prostitution. For more information about the sexual exploitation of young people see the ‘Exploitation’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Accidents & Injury Accidents and injuries can happen in a variety of places, in the home, at school, at the beach, in public places such as parks or on the streets. However, the greatest risk from accidental injury for the 12-15 year old age group is road safety and being hit or knocked down by a car or other type of vehicle. For more information about road safety, accidents and injuries see the ‘Accidents & Injury’ pages on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Teenagers going missing The biggest reason for young people aged 12-15 going missing from home is due to them running away. Young people can run away for a variety of reasons from arguments at home through to them being survivors of abuse. However, young people dramatically increase their vulnerability by running away and increase the risks of them becoming the victims of crime, exploitation or abuse. For more information about children going missing see the ‘Children Missing from Home’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. |
