Norfolk police deal with offenders as young as four
Aug 25, 2010
from the article by Ben Kendall in Norwich Evening News:
Child offenders as young as four have been dealt with by police in Norfolk using alternatives to court, new figures have revealed.
According to statistics released by Norfolk police under the Freedom of Information Act, more than 500 under-12s are dealt with using restorative justice each year.
The process involves asking offenders to apologise to victims and make amends for their wrong-doing.
Police say it provides an opportunity to divert those who are under 10 years old, the age of criminal responsibility, away from crime at an early age. It also allows the authorities to help them stay on the straight and narrow.
The method has been used with children who have committed crimes ranging from burglary to violence, although theft and vandalism are the most common offences. Young people dealt with in this way do not get a criminal record.
Extreme cases in the county include a four-year-old boy responsible for criminal damage, an eight-year-old burglar and two nine-year-olds who were accused of violence last year.
What do you think? Should police initiated restorative approaches be used with children under the age of criminal responsibility?
RJ and age of Criminal Responsibility
I've read a good bit about the danger of net-widening or the system using restorative processes to deal with behaviours that would not otherwise be brought into the criminal justice system. I can't help but think that this is what is happening when children as young as four are brought into police initiated processes. The behaviour is troublesome but not eligible for a criminal justice response. However, restorative justice provides an excuse for responding to them.
When I first saw the headlines, I asked a colleague from England how it was possible that children as young as four would be dealt with in a restorative process for a criminal charge. His responded with suggestions that the process was school led or really targeted the parenting. He was a surprised as I was to learn that the processes were police initiated.
So, I do think this is problematic as it does seem like net-widening to me. At the same time, I see the temptation as it is a way to help children begin learning the impact and consequences of their behaviour. Still, I think there are better avenues for this practice such as implementing restorative discipline policies in schools including pre-schools. Also, restorative processes in social service agencies to respond to parenting issues, etc. We need creative alternatives to police initiated and led processes in such cases.