Under consideration PE2269: Strengthen youth justice thresholds
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to raise thresholds for diverting violent, knife and gang-related youth offending through early and effective intervention (EEI) and Children’s Hearings, with clearer step-up pathways for young offenders and better data and, in doing so, improve early intervention for knife crime and group violence.
Background information
Youth violence and gang-related offending continue to cause serious harm in Scotland. The current system’s heavy reliance on diversion through Early and Effective Intervention and the Children’s Hearings System means that young people involved in violence, knife crime and group offending are too often repeatedly diverted with limited consequences. This allows behaviour to escalate until irreversible damage is done to victims and their families.
Prevention and rehabilitation for higher-risk cases are not currently strong enough. Clearer thresholds, stronger accountability, better data, improved victims’ protections and more credible early intervention are urgently needed to protect the public and stop harm before it becomes irreparable.
My intention is not to criminalise children or move away from the principles of early intervention and rehabilitation. I want to ensure that children involved in serious, violent or escalating behaviour receive the appropriate support at the earliest possible opportunity.
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