If you are concerned that a child or young person is at immediate risk please contact the police on 999. 

Age of Criminal Responsibility

On 17th December 2021 the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland changed from 8 to 12 years old. You can view a short animation on the changes to age of criminal responsibility here - Age of Criminal Responsibility in Scotland - YouTube

Resources for Parents and Carers

The Centre for Youth and Child Justice has a range of resources for parents or carers of children or young people who are in conflict with the law or if there are concerns that they are at risk of being so. https://www.cycj.org.uk/what-we-do/parents-and-carers/

Journey through justice - An interactive guide through the youth justice system for children and young people

This interactive guide will guide you through what to expect at each step if a young person has been charged by police. https://content.iriss.org.uk/charged/

Supporting good practice with care experienced children in custody

The Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ), in collaboration with the Scottish Child Law Centre, has produced a new resource to support Scottish solicitors and practitioners with Good Practice Principles when representing care experienced children in police custody, to ensure their rights are upheld.

‘Representing care experienced children & young people in police custody: A good practice guide’ also includes advice for children and young people to help them know what their rights are, and what they are entitled to, in police custody. This guide was co-produced with care/justice experienced young people.