Youth Justice Statistics 2024-2025
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has published its annual statistics about children in the youth justice system in England & Wales.
The 2024–25 Youth Justice Statistics show a continued fall in the number of children entering custody, reaching the lowest levels on record. However, the profile of those who do reach custody is becoming more complex, with increasing seriousness of offences, persistent racial disproportionality, and those children who re-offend, doing so more frequently. The report also highlights systemic pressures such as severe court delays.
Details
Stop and Searches
In the year ending March 2025, stop and searches of children decreased by 7%, to around 95,900, compared to the previous year. The proportion of stop and searches of children which ultimately resulted in arrest remained at 10% - the same as the previous two years.
74% of stop and searches of children resulted in No Further Action – a slight decrease from the previous year and a five-year low.
Black children involved in stop and searches continue to be over-represented compared with the population, representing 18% of all stop and searches.
Arrests
There were around 58,300 arrests of children for notifiable offences. This was a 2% decrease to the previous year where there were around 59,200 arrests.
First Time Entrants (FTEs) to the youth justice system
In the year ending December 2024, there were just over 8,100 child FTEs, which was a decrease of 4% from the previous year. As with the previous year, more child FTEs received a custodial sentence at court, rather than a youth caution.
The number of child FTEs from an ‘Other’ ethnic background increased by 66% from the previous year. Compared with the previous year, the number of Black child FTEs also increased by 8%. The age profile of FTEs has also shifted, with a decrease of 14% of FTEs aged 10 to 14.
The three most common offences committed by child FTEs in the year ending December 2024 were summary offences excluding motoring (18%), possession of weapons offences (17%) and violence against the person offences (17%).
Record low numbers in custody
The average number of children in custody fell by 3% to around 420 children, the lowest recorded. This decline aligns with long-term reductions in arrests and FTEs to the youth justice system.
However, despite decreases in the number of Black and Mixed children in custody compared to the previous year, Black and Mixed children remained overrepresented (accounting for 22% and 18% respectively).
Sentencing occasions increased but fewer custodial sentences
The number of custodial sentences dropped by 7% to around 610, following last year’s first increase in a decade.
Meanwhile the overall number of sentencing occasions for children increased by 1%, the third consecutive annual rise, suggesting courts are seeing more cases even if custody is used less often.
Remand remains overused
The YJB’s statistics show that 62% of children remanded to custody did not receive a custodial sentence at the end of their case, which was the same as the previous year. Of the children who did not receive a custodial sentence after being remanded, 25% were acquitted or had their case dismissed and 75% received a non-custodial sentence.
These trends suggest a continued disproportionate reliance on remand.
Worsening court delays
The average time from offence to completion reached 230 days, which is the joint highest level it has been along with the year ending March 2021, in which delays were caused by court closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These delays may be linked to the persistently high periods spent on remand.
Ethnic disproportionality in the youth justice system
Black and Mixed Heritage children continue to be over-represented across the system. Mixed Heritage children now make up 18% of the custody population, which is nearly double their share a decade ago. Despite falling overall custody numbers, the proportion of racially minoritised children is increasing, indicating that disparities are becoming more pronounced.
Children from minority ethnic groups were overrepresented in the custodial remand population, with Black children making up over a quarter of those remanded.
While the reoffending rate for Black children decreased by 1.3% compared with the previous year, to 36.7%, it remained the highest reoffending rate of all ethnic groups.
Shifts in offence types: serious harm indicators rising
Knife and offensive weapon offences increased by 2%, rising from approximately 3,600 to 3,700. Proven sexual offences rose by 6%, continuing a three-year upward trend (from about 1,400 to 1,500).
In the year ending March 2025, 54% of proven offences were related to indecent or extreme pornographic images or videos, which include creating and sharing material, while 32% of proven sexual offences were for rape or sexual assault.
Reoffending patterns
The overall reoffending rate fell to 31.8%, a small improvement. However, those who do reoffend are doing so more frequently, reaching a 10-year high.
Commentary
The 2024-25 statistics paint a picture of progress, with fewer children entering the justice system and fewer in custody. However, there remain serious ongoing challenges.
The ongoing issue of ethnic disproportionality continues across all areas of the youth justice system, showing the need for targeted action. Close monitoring of key decision-making points (arrest, charging, remand and sentencing) must be prioritised.
The increase in serious offences relating to knife/offensive weapon offences and sexual offences amongst children is also a cause for concern. This points to a need for multi-agency collaboration, including with schools and social services, for better early intervention.
The continued delays in the court system also highlight that the system is still in crisis, with delays matching the levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in sentencing occasions highlights the added strain being faced by the courts.