Black children eight times more likely to be strip searched, report finds
Black children eight times more likely to be strip searched, report finds
A Children’s Commissioner report shows strip searches of youths have fallen, but Black children remain eight times more likely to be searched than white peers, raising concerns over policing.
A new report from the Children’s Commissioner highlights a troubling disparity in how police stop and search young people in England and Wales. It finds that Black children are eight times more likely to be strip searched than white peers, even as the overall number of strip searches continues to fall. While the total number of strip searches in 2024 is estimated at 377 — down about 56% from 854 in 2020 — the gap along ethnic lines remains stark and troubling.
The analysis draws on data from the first half of 2024 and notes that 26 strip searches were conducted in public view between July 2023 and June 2024. In the same period, 22 searches were carried out without an appropriate adult present, a situation described by Dame Rachel de Souza as something that should never happen. The report also highlights that Black children, who make up around 6% of the 10-17 population in the 2021 census, accounted for 35% of those strip searched.
Beyond strip searches themselves, the report examines the use of force during stop and search. It shows that while most force cases involved children aged between 11 and 17, there were 46 instances of force recorded during stop and search overall. The findings have prompted calls for a more child-centered approach and updates to official guidance, which are currently out for public consultation by the National Police Chiefs’ Council. The updates aim to safeguard children, ensure appropriate use of force, and improve transparency as policing practices evolve.
