Over-representation of minority ethnic young people in the Youth Justice System in Dudley
There is a worrying over-representation of minority ethnic young boys in the Youth Justice System (YJS) in Dudley. The Dudley Youth Justice Service Management Board asked us to explore the issue further.
Summary
The vast majority of children are not involved in the YJS. However, of this small amount, a disproportionate amount are from Black and Mixed Race backgrounds. We spoke to young males involved with the YJS and a group of professionals to explore the reason for over-representation in the YJS and the potential solutions.
Key findings
- Young boys told us about the lack of support provided by Mental Health and Social Care services.
- Racial biases present in schools, mental health services and care services contribute to the over-representation of minority ethnic boys in the YJS.
- There is a need for collaborative efforts among all services to address the challenges faced by these young people.
Following our recommendations, a steering group has been formed with representative from multiple services. The steering group is working towards reducing the over-representation of minority ethnic young people in Dudley.
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Over-representation of minority ethnic young people in the Youth Justice System.
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