Recent government data from December 2024 shows that violence in youth custody is becoming more frequent and more severe. In the final quarter of 2024, there were 534 assault incidents across the secure estate, involving 375 children and young people. The annualised assault rate reached 408.5 per 100 children, an increase of almost a quarter compared with the same period the year before.
Assaults on staff have followed the same pattern. Between October and December 2024, staff were assaulted at a rate of 189.7 per 100 young people, representing a 24% increase year on year. Serious assaults also rose sharply, climbing to 32.1 per 100 in the same quarter, up 21% on 2023. These figures underline the scale of the challenge and the risks faced by both staff and those in custody.
Patterns Across Different Sectors
Youth Offender Institutions (YOIs), Secure Training Centres (STCs) and Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs) have all recorded higher levels of violence.
- YOIs reported an assault rate of 365.8 per 100 children, up 17%
- SCHs recorded 317.8 per 100, up 16%
- STCs had the most extreme rate at 758.2 per 100, an increase of 33%
The figures also show disparities across age and background. Children aged 15 to 17 were the most likely to be involved in violent incidents, while higher rates were also recorded among those from Black and Muslim groups, either as assailants or as victims.
Violence Compared with the Adult Estate
The contrast with adult prisons is striking. In 2022–23, the rate of assaults in youth custody stood at 385 per 100 children, many times higher than adult levels.
Parliamentary debate has also drawn attention to this issue. In Feltham A, Werrington and Wetherby, assaults on staff rose by almost 25% in a single year. The rate of violence was reported to be around 14 times greater than in the adult estate.
Surveys highlight the same reality. Roughly 40% of boys in YOIs said they felt unsafe, suggesting that fear and instability are part of daily life for many children in custody.
Feltham A: Case Study in Violence in Youth Custody
Feltham A illustrates how extreme the problem of violence in youth custody has become.
- In the 12 months to March 2024, 84 boys were involved in 410 violent incidents, a rate of 488 per 100
- Use of force by staff increased by 68%
- More than 300 weapons were discovered over the course of the year
- Disorder levels had tripled since the previous inspection
Inspectors also noted that living conditions had deteriorated, with long cell confinement, weak education programmes and high levels of segregation. Fear of violence even deterred some boys from receiving family visits. The Guardian described Feltham as the most violent prison in England and Wales, reflecting the scale of the crisis.
Why Violence in Youth Custody Persists
Several systemic factors explain why violence in youth custody continues to rise.
- Staff shortages and sickness leave reduce stability and supervision
- Long periods of cell confinement leave children frustrated and idle
- Limited education and training opportunities undermine rehabilitation
- The presence of gangs and weapons increases the severity of incidents
- Many children carry trauma and complex care needs, requiring specialist intervention that is often unavailable
A Call for Change
The growth of violence in youth custody reflects deep structural weaknesses. Staff are at risk, children are denied safety, and rehabilitation goals are being lost. Addressing this requires more than temporary measures. Increased staffing, better education provision, access to purposeful activities, trauma-informed care, and stronger action on weapons are all essential.
Without meaningful reform, youth custody will continue to fail both the children it holds and the staff who work within it.
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