Children and young people’s experiences of the justice system in Scotland during COVID-19
New research undertaken by the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ) into children and young people’s experiences within Scotland’s justice system operating under the COVID-19 restrictions has revealed that they are feeling increasingly isolated.
‘Spend time with me’, published on 15 June, reports the experiences of children and young people in Scotland who are involved with or have been in contact with youth justice services, and the reflections of practitioners working within the youth justice system.
As well as identifying isolation and lack of contact - including positive physical contact and affection - with family, friends and services as one of their biggest concerns, they were also worried about operational changes to the youth justice system, for example, court processes and Children’s Hearings being delayed because of restrictions.
The research also looks at what is in place to support children and young people and includes practice examples shared by the youth justice practitioners consulted.