The Experiences of Children in Custody: A Story of Survival

Day, Anne-Marie

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.

Citation

Day, A.-M. (2021). The Experiences of Children in Custody: A Story of Survival. Safer Communities, https://doi.org/10.1108/SC-11-2020-0040

• Acceptance Date: Mar 29, 2021
• Publication Date: Jun 16, 2021
• 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
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/419643
• Publisher URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SC-11-2020-0040/full/html