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The Experiences of Children in Custody: A Story of Survival

Day

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Authors

Day



Abstract

This paper explores children’s experiences during their time in custody in England and Wales. Fortyeight children were interviewed, as part of a wider study on children’s pathways into, through and out of custody. The focus of this paper is on children’s experiences in Young Offender Institutions. The findings from the study suggest that children’s behaviour during incarceration can be understood largely as strategies for surviving the hostile environment in which they find themselves. The paper seeks to highlight specific elements of this environment and offers an insight into how they may impact upon a child's sense of self and place in the world.

Acceptance Date Mar 29, 2021
Publication Date Jun 16, 2021
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Safer Communities
Print ISSN 1757-8043
Publisher Emerald
DOI https://doi.org/10.1108/SC-11-2020-0040
Keywords Youth justice, Child, Secure estate, Young Offender Institutions, Child custody, Identity, Sense of self, Institutional identity
Publisher URL https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SC-11-2020-0040/full/html