Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

This project will explore how intersecting inequalities affect children’s experiences of the Scottish justice system.   

Why is this important?

Children in conflict with the law often experience significant adversity – including poverty, exclusion, and discrimination – which affects how equitably they can participate in, or are treated by, the justice system. Minoritised groups are over-represented and criminalised, including children from racialised communities, living in poverty, with neurodiversity or communication needs.  

The research team’s scoping review found a gap in intersectional research exploring children’s experiences of justice. Current research tends to focus on adult perspectives on children’s protected characteristics, rather than children’s voices. 

What does it involve?

This project will address this knowledge gap through a co-produced programme of peer-led research. The project team aim to answer the following questions: 

• How do children in conflict with the law understand and experience protected characteristics? 
• What are children’s perspectives on the relationship between intersecting protected characteristics? 
• How do children describe and experience the intersection between protected characteristics and poverty? 
• In what ways do children perceive that intersecting protected characteristics relate to their interactions with the justice system? 

• What impact do intersectional inequalities and justice experiences have on how children think and feel about themselves, their offending behaviours, and their future? 
• What do people who work in the justice system need to know and do to better understand children’s experiences and to change how things are done in the justice system? 

The research will be completed in two phases. Phase one will involve the recruitment of a diverse group of children with justice experience to form a Young Advisory Group (YAG), who will be directly involved in the research, analysis, and production of outputs. During phase two, children with varying intersectional protected characterises and experiences of poverty and justice will be recruited. The exact methodological approach to answer the research questions will be developed with the YAG, informed by the learning and insights from phase one.  

How will it make a difference?

A variety of outputs will be co-produced, including child-friendly reports and animations, policy briefs, practice guides, and journal articles. Dissemination activities such as policy and practice events and webinars will target key stakeholders.