The Scottish Government

Page: [1] ...[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] ...[16]

Chapter FOUR

The Children: One and 2 years on

Part I

This chapter outlines the legal position of 1,140 of the children at 1 February 1996 and 1,141 of the children at 1 February 1997, using government data derived from the SWS21 records. A more detailed account of the circumstances of 619 of these children at February 1996 and 510 children at 1997 is provided in Part 1, based on questionnaires completed by Reporters at these 2 stages of the study. Reporters were able to provide more information in relation to children who were subject to supervision requirements.

The age, sex and supervision status of the children

At 1 February 1996, approaching half (514) of the children (45%, n=1,140) were subject to a supervision requirement. The majority of the children were male (328 males compared to 186 females), and they were largely in the 12 to 15 age group. Table 4.1.1 provides a detailed breakdown of the age and sex of the children who were subject to compulsory measures of care at 1 February 1996.

Table 4.1.1
Age and sex of children with a supervision requirement at 1 February 1996

By 1 February 1997 less than one-third (31%, n=1,141) of the children were subject to a supervision requirement. As at 1 February 1996, these were mainly male children in the 12 to 15 age group (see Table 4.1.2 below).

Table 4.1.2
Age and sex of the children under supervision at 1 February 1997

Children whose supervision requirement was terminated

There were 208 (n=1,140) children whose supervision requirements were terminated by 1 February 1996 (SWS21 data). These were largely male (143 males, 65 females), reflecting the higher numbers of males subject to supervision requirements. Boys aged 16 or older were most likely to have had a supervision requirement terminated (see Table 4.1.3).

Table 4.1.3
Age and sex of the children where a supervision requirement was terminated
between 1 February 1995 and 1 February 1996

By 1 February 1997 there were 187 (n=1,141) children whose supervision requirement had been terminated (see Table 4.1.4 below). Once again these were largely males in the 16-plus age group.

Table 4.1.4
Age and sex of the children whose supervision requirement was terminated
by 1 February 1997

Reporters provided information on the reasons for the termination of supervision requirements by February 1996 and 1997 (see Table 4.1.5 below). For a number of children a key reason was that they had 'outgrown the hearings system/the hearings system had nothing to offer the child'. These were almost exclusively children aged 16 or older on 1 February 1996.

Table 4.1.5
Reason for termination of supervision requirements

The social circumstances of children under supervision

Reporters were able to provide some information on social circumstances for a limited number of children under supervision at February 1996 and 1997.

Living circumstances

The living circumstances of the children at February 1996 and one year later were similar. Table 4.1.6 below outlines the living circumstances of children under supervision at 1 February 1996 and 1997.

By February 1997, from the information available, it appeared that over two-fifths of the children under supervision, were living with parent(s) (44%, n=138) and just over one-tenth living with relatives (11%). Over one-third of children were living either in foster care, residential schools or home (36%) by February 1997.

Table 4.1.6
The living circumstances of children under supervision at 1 February 1996
and 1 February 1997

By February 1997, one of the most common reasons cited (47%, n=71) for a care placement was general concern about the child's care. This was followed by alcohol misuse by the child's carer (25%). Carer's drug misuse did not appear to be a major reason for admission to care (1%). Offending behaviour was a common reason for admission (24%).

Family composition

The family composition of the children at February 1996 and one year later was similar. In both years lone parenting was a prominent feature for children under supervision (see Table 4.17). This was slightly higher than for the entire cohort in 1995 where 46% (n=1,115) were lone-parent households.

By February 1997 well over half of the families of the children under supervision (where information was available) were lone parents (58%, n=136). One-fifth of children had a family with a traditional nuclear structure (see Table 4.1.7 below). This reflected the high rate of lone parenting in the sample.

Table 4.1.7
Family composition of children under supervision at February 1996 and 1997

Adversities in the children's lives

Reporters were asked to record their concerns about the children in February 1996 and February 1997 by selecting 2 items from a set of pre-defined categories. Concerns in relation to offending and parental alcohol misuse were consistently identified by Reporters at the outset of the study for children under supervision one and 2 years on.

Table 4.1.8 below illustrates the difficulties children under supervision might be facing in 1996 and 1997. There were also 2 young people under supervision in February 1997 who were either pregnant or had their own child by this time.

Table 4.1.8
Reporters' concerns for children under supervision in 1996 (n=275) and 1997 (n= 135)

1 Sched. 1 refers to an offender who has been convicted of an offence(s) under schedule 1 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975.

Offending status

By February 1996 a picture had emerged of a small group of children (116) whose offending was continuing or increasing, including 21 children whose offences were becoming more serious (see Table 4.1.9 below). This group was predominantly male and mostly under supervision at February 1996.

Table 4.1.9
Offending by supervision status and sex at February 1996

A small number of children under supervision at February 1997 continued to offend, and in some cases their offending increased and/or became more serious (36%, n=120) (see Table 4.1.10 below). About one-fifth (18%, n=120) of children under supervision were reducing their offending.

Table 4.1.10
Patterns of offending for children under supervision at February 1997

Educational status

The majority of children aged between 5 and 15 years at February 1995 were enrolled at school by 1 February 1995. There was limited information available on their subsequent educational status.

Fifty-five (n=451) children had changed their type of schooling by February 1996, the majority of whom (51) were, also, by that time, under supervision. Truancy was recorded as starting or continuing for 64 children (n=208) under supervision in 1996; and for 27 children truancy had ended or reduced. No truancy was recorded for 79 children under supervision in 1996.

By February 1997 there were 105 children under supervision and under 16 years of age enrolled in school. Almost two-thirds (63%, n=103) attended local authority schools, although just over one-fifth (21%, n=103) were in residential schools and a further 11% (n=103) were in some kind of specialist educational unit. Truancy was also a problem for just over one-fifth (22%, n=105) of these children. This suggested that for this small group of children schooling difficulties were a concern.

Of 32 young people aged 16 years or older and under supervision at 1 February 1997, 13 were unemployed, 7 were on a training scheme, and 10 were enrolled in school. Details were not available for 2 young people.

Page: [1] ...[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] ...[16]