Find out how we can help children and young people to stop offending
If your child gets into trouble and gets arrested, they can be dealt with in a number of different ways. It depends on the seriousness of the offence and what they, and others, say about it.
The law deals with all people under the age of 18 years as ‘children’. The laws applying to them are different from adults.
We at TYJS are there to help children and young people stop offending. We will work with you to do this. We can help if you need any advice about the criminal justice system and what it means for you or your child. You can speak to us using the contact details on the bottom of this page.
If a child or young person gets arrested, they will normally go to the nearest police station. If they are under 17 years old, they have the right to have an appropriate adult with them at the police station. An appropriate adult must be over 18 years of age. They could be a:
Being an appropriate adult on Vimeo
If no one is available, we have an appropriate adult service. We can provide a trained person to attend. The police will arrange this. If the child is under 18 the police must try to contact their parents or carers.
The police will interview the child or young person. This should always be done with a solicitor for the young person present. The solicitor must have an opportunity to speak with the young person first. If the young person does not have a solicitor, the police will appoint a duty solicitor.
This helpful video shows what happens at the police station when a young person is arrested.