The guiding principle of the youth justice system in England and Wales, designed to treat young people in the criminal justice system primarily as children rather than offenders.
There are four central principles of Child First:
- Treat children as children: Prioritize each child’s best interests, unique developmental needs, capacity, and rights, while acknowledging structural or systemic barriers.
- Build a pro-social identity: Focus on individual strengths, constructive activities, and positive relationships to help children shift away from an "offender" label.
- Collaborate with children: Involve children and their parents or carers through active participation, voice, and co-creation rather than imposing decisions on them.
- Divert from stigma: Use prevention, early diversion, and minimal intervention to keep children out of the formal criminal justice system
You can read more about the Child First approach and the evidence behind it from the Youth Justice Board and HM Inspectorate of Probation.