Childhood criminal exploitation and school exclusions

Date: 4th September 2020
Category: Children in situations of exploitation, Education, including vocational education

---

A new report highlights the circular links between childhood criminal exploitation and exclusion from education. It highlights that children who are outside mainstream education are more vulnerable to becoming a victim of childhood criminal exploitation, meanwhile children who are criminally exploited may be disproportionately affected by exclusion.

Children's Rights Alliance England (CRAE) and Just for Kids Law emphasise the clear and near-universally acknowledged statistical link between exclusions and children and young people becoming involved in violent crime as either victim or perpetrator. Despite this, young people can be forced to leave school for behaviour that directly resulted from their exploitation due to lack of legal safeguards. This gap in protection leaves excluded children at risk of exploitation by criminals, placing their future, welfare and safety in danger.

CRAE and Just for Kids Law are calling for schools to urgently change their approach to child criminal exploitation so that it always focuses on doing everything possible to safeguard and protect the child. They also call for UK Government to change statutory guidance to reduce the risk that victims of criminal exploitation will be excluded.

Read more here.