Children’s Commissioner’s report on children's involvement in 2024 riots

It continues:

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First and foremost, this means listening to young victims, and to children enduring complex or difficult challenges in their lives. But in cases like these, it is also my responsibility to go beyond public speculation and hear from the children accused of perpetrating violence against others.

When children as young as 11 are caught up in criminality, it is crucial we listen and implement necessary changes that are informed by their voices and experiences. My team and I worked to ensure that every child charged in connection to the riots, whether in custody, children’s homes, youth clubs or online, had the opportunity to share their story. 

What emerged from the conversations I had with the young people themselves was striking, and often unsettling. Many children described making a split-second decision, their involvement being largely spontaneous and unconsidered, driven by curiosity or the thrill of the moment to see what was going on in their community. Others described a deep distrust of the police and the opportunity to retaliate against a previous interaction.

What these conversations do not support is the prevailing narrative that emerged from the riots which was subsequently accepted: that online misinformation, racism or other right-wing influences were to blame for why young people were enticed to join in the aggression. While there is no doubt these issues all played a role, they did not drive the children’s actions – they did not come up as the only significant factors in any of the conversations with the children who were charged.

Since the riots, headlines and commentators have confidently asserted the reasons why children got involved in the riots, rushing to make sweeping statements and assign blame. Too often, adults assume an understanding of children’s actions, creating a narrative about children but never with them. Behind these headlines, children are left unheard and overlooked.

Children are naturally impulsive. They take risks, act before thinking, and cannot yet fully consider the consequences of their actions and the impact on others. That is one reason why we have built protections into our public services that take account of children’s developmental stages: a compulsory school age, a legal voting age, a threshold for criminal responsibility.

Let me state clearly: this report, and indeed my role of listening to these children, does not excuse criminality. Enormous harm was caused by these children’s actions – with physical violence towards victims, to properties and to livelihoods. Most of the children I spoke to acknowledged the need for accountability and consequences for their actions – but not all. A couple were unrepentant, and defiant. They told me they would do it again but try harder not to get caught.

As police continue to review thousands of hours of footage, more children will be charged. It’s important that there are appropriate consequences to face for their actions – but children’s developing brains are sponges for rehabilitation and positive change. This should be reflected in the ethos of our youth justice system and in our response to these events. Instead, evidence collected during this report indicates that the opposite was true: for many children involved in these riots, their backgrounds, extent of involvement and potential for reform seem to have been largely overlooked. The charges and sentences passed down to these children have been, in comparison to other young offenders facing similar circumstances, unusually severe and swift.

Many of the children we spoke to were finally engaging in education or employment after years of difficulties with attendance. The short custodial sentences some received profoundly disrupted their lives at a crucial moment, rather than supporting them to make better decisions. It calls into question the greater purpose of our youth justice system, which should offer not just punishment but also rehabilitation.  

This report does not offer any simple answers. It paints a much more challenging picture than the one portrayed in media headlines. However, it is one everyone in a position of influence must grapple with if we are to create a more positive experience of childhood than the one this report sets out.

I will never forget visiting Spellow Library in Liverpool, a cherished community space reduced to ashes. The pain and loss felt by children and families who rely on services like this was undeniable. Yet so was their resilience. A few months later, I returned to see the library restored through the hard work and determination of the community.

Just as Spellow Library was rebuilt, we too must rebuild. As a nation, we must learn from these events, to prevent them from happening again. Healing takes time, but it begins with listening and learning from one another.

Every child deserves the chance to grow up in safety, with opportunities for an enriching education, skills that serve them into adulthood and surrounded by adults that care and advocate for them. This must include those who have committed a crime – who must be dealt with under our established child-centred principles, with every interaction with the justice system an opportunity for rehabilitation and improvement.

I hope this report serves as a foundation for constructive dialogue and, most importantly, for change. This would mean we have listened, learned, and acted for the benefit of all children – as Commissioner, that is my primary ambition."

You can read the report in full here.