“ I think I must have been born
bad”
Listening to children in the secure
estate
Sue Berelowitz
Deputy Children’s
Commissioner/Chief Executive
UNCRC: relevant articles
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The best interests of the child must be the top priority
12 Right to express an opinion and be taken seriously
19 Right to be properly cared for and protected from violence, abuse and
neglect
28 Right to education
24 Right to health and health services
37 Right not to be treated cruelly if break the law. Loss of liberty should be
a measure of last resort & for shortest possible time
39 Children who are abused or neglected should receive special help to
promote and assist their recovery
40 Children should only be imprisoned for the most serious offences and
be treated in a manner which promotes their dignity and self-worth. A
variety of dispositions should be used to avoid institutional care.
Children and young people in
custody (“I think I must have been born bad” OCC 2011)
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60% have suffered maltreatment
50% have problems with peer & family relationships
66% come from broken families
33% have been in care
75% have a history of school exclusion
33% have severe and complex mental health problems
25% have learning disabilities
30% have a physical disability
More than 50% have communication and literacy problems
High proportion have history of drug and/or alcohol abuse
High levels of other health problems
Neurodevelopmental
disorder
Prevalence young
people in the general
population
Prevalence young
people in custody
2 - 4%
23 - 32%
10%
43 - 57%
5 - 7%
60 - 90%
1.7 – 9%
12%
Autistic spectrum disorder
0.6 – 1.2%
15%
Traumatic brain injury
24 - 31.6%
65.1 - 72.1%
Epilepsy
0.45 – 1%
0.7 – 0.8%
0.1 – 5%
10.9 - 11.7%
Learning disabilities
Dyslexia
Communication disorders
Attention deficit hyperactive disorder
Foetal alcohol syndrome
A need to belong (Centre for Mental Health 2013)
• 4x more likely than other females in YJS to report poor peer and family
relationships
• 3x more likely to be identified as victims of csa
• 3x more likely to witness violence & experience physical abuse and neglect
• 3 – 4x more likely to run away
• 3-3x more likely to be excluded from school
• +5x more likely to be involved in risky or sexually harmful behaviour
• Clear links between victimisation & gang association
• +25% suspected diagnosable mental health problem
• 30% self-harming or at risk of suicide
• 30% have sleeping or eating problems
• Almost 40% show behavioural problems before age 12.
CSEGG: Key findings
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2,400 actual victims in 14/12
16,500 at high risk
Happening everywhere
Ethnicity
Violent and sadistic
Relentless
Profile of victims
Profile of perpetrators
Victim/perpetrator overlap
Vulnerabilities
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Living in a chaotic or dysfunctional household (including parental substance use, domestic
violence, parental mental health issues, parental criminality)
History of abuse (including familial child sexual abuse, risk of forced marriage, risk of
‘honour’-based violence, physical and emotional abuse and neglect)
Recent bereavement or loss
Gang association either through relatives, peers or intimate relationships (in cases of gangassociated CSE only)
Attending school with young people who are sexually exploited
Learning disabilities
Unsure about their sexual orientation or unable to disclose sexual orientation to their
families
Friends with young people who are sexually exploited
Homeless
Lacking friends from the same age group
Living in a gang involved neighbourhood
Living in residential care
Living in hostel, bed and breakfast accommodation or a foyer
Low self-esteem or self-confidence
Young carer
Already a victim
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Missing from home or care
Physical injuries
Drug or alcohol misuse
Involvement in offending
Repeat sexually-transmitted infections, pregnancy and terminations
Absent from school
Change in physical appearance
Evidence of sexual bullying and/or vulnerability through the internet
and/or social networking sites
Estranged from their family
Receipt of gifts from unknown sources
Recruiting others into exploitative situations
Poor mental health
Self-harm
Thoughts of or attempts at suicide