Black Kids in London 15% ‘more likely to be criminalized’ than white peers, report finds

Black Kids in London 15% ‘more likely to be criminalized’ than white peers, report finds
—————————————–
A new report by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) reveals significant racial disparities in how Black children in London are treated by the criminal justice system, Anadolu Agency reported. The study, conducted with the Behavioral Insights Team and the Metropolitan Police, analyzed data from nearly 265,000 young people who had police contact between 2015 and 2022. It found that Black children are 15% more likely than their white peers to be charged and enter the criminal justice system for similar offenses.

The report highlights the effectiveness of diversion programs, which offer alternatives to formal criminal proceedings for minor or first-time offenses. Diversion was shown to nearly halve reoffending rates within six months—from 8.2% to 4.5%. For violent offenses, reoffending dropped by 59.8%, and for knife crime, by 70%. However, the report cautions that these results do not conclusively prove causation.

Despite these benefits, Black children were 14.8% less likely to be diverted than white children, even after accounting for offense type and history. Black children accounted for 44.3% of police contacts but represent only 24.7% of the local population.