Thousands of child abuse victims forced to navigate criminal justice system without support
Thousands of child victims of domestic or sexual abuse are being forced to navigate complicated and often traumatic criminal justice processes alone, without being offered specialist support. New figures from the Children’s Commissioner for England show that the vast majority (92%)[1] of cases involving child victims of sexual violence or domestic abuse are receiving no […]
Child victims’ access to advocacy
In a world designed by – and mainly for – adults, children’s voices are very often not heard. It is for this reason that the role of the Children’s Commissioner was established in 2004 – to ensure children’s needs and best interests are advocated for at a national level. The Children Act 2004 gives the […]
The Children’s Commissioner’s view on artificial intelligence (AI)
In recent years there has been a huge increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, both in terms of the number of products available on the market and their use by consumers. It is clear there are advantages to the use of AI, but there is still so much that is not yet […]
Unaccompanied children in need of care
As Children’s Commissioner, I have a duty to promote and protect the rights of all children. But I have a particular duty, and feel a profound responsibility, towards those who are not living with their own families. This includes the children who have arrived here unaccompanied, fleeing war and persecution in their home countries. The […]
Protecting children from serious violence
‘I think in certain areas we ain’t provided with lots to do and that makes kids fend for their own type of fun and most of us just end up hanging out on the street. This causes knife crime and stuff like that’ – Girl, aged 14 (The Big Ask). Recent months have been heavy […]
The Children’s Commissioner will give evidence on the draft Victims Bill to the Justice Select Committee
Next week I will be appearing before the Justice Select Committee, delivering evidence as part of the Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Victims Bill. Below I set out my thoughts on the Bill from the perspective of children. Overall, the Bill needs to fully reflect child victims’ voices and recognise that children’s needs are […]
Characteristics of children entering care for the first time as teenagers
Last year, research from my office showed that even before the pandemic, there were 120,000 highly vulnerable children in England who were falling through the gaps in education and social care. This group of children – equivalent to 1 in 25 13-17 year olds – all had significant additional needs and vulnerabilities but were not […]
Plans by tech giants for more encrypted messaging risks greater child exploitation and abuse
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, has published a report, “Access Denied: How end to end encryption threatens children’s safety online”, looking at children’s use of private messaging services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The study suggests that millions of children in England are using messaging platforms that they are not old enough to be […]
Thousands of children in care being ‘failed by the state’ because of a broken residential care home market
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, has published a set of reports showing how the children’s residential social care system is broken and is failing many of the most vulnerable children, in particular those who are most at risk of falling through gaps in the system and becoming victims of criminal or sexual exploitation. Today’s reports […]
Hidden Victims
When a child experiences violent, sexual or domestic abuse, whether in their home, school or community, it is vital that they are listened to and that they receive meaningful, specialist support. That is why I welcome the ambitions of the draft Victims’ Bill which aims to amplify victims’ voices in the criminal justice system and […]
Briefing on the full Government response to the Online Harms White Paper
Three years since the publication of a Green Paper, and over 18 months since a White Paper, the Government has announced its final plans for a new Online Safety Bill. The Children’s Commissioner welcomes this groundbreaking legislation, which is a significant step forward in combatting online harms. There is now much work to be done […]
Keeping kids safe, Anne Longfield’s article for the Huffington Post
This week’s publication of the inquiry into the catastrophic failures to protect very vulnerable children in Greater Manchester is another reminder of how agencies and authorities whose job it is to protect those at risk have too often let them down. The details are atrocious and the impact of the mistakes that were made will still be […]
Archived Content
Anne Longfield: The Queen’s Speech and beyond
Any new Government has choices about the priority it gives to improving the lives of children and young people and the Queen’s Speech included a number of measures which make a positive start.
Speech
Anne Longfield: Why is PSHE so important?
What is PSHE and why is it so important?
‘If only someone had listened’
Inquiry into child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups
‘I thought I was the only one in the world’
Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation In Gangs and Groups
Does mentoring work?
The recent tragic murders in London have again brought home how urgently we need to do more to stop young people joining gangs and becoming involved in violent crime. The drugs trade is absolutely ruthless. It grooms children, uses them and then discards them. The police have told me that the level of violence behind […]
Anne Longfield comments on UK Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s Annual Report
On the rare occasions that children and young people are trafficked into England they suffer horrendous exploitation which can leave deep scars on their lives – whether they are sexually exploited, forced to work on cannabis farms or endure other forms of debt bondage.
Anne Longfield’s response to the Government’s announcement that PSHE lesson (life skills) will not be made compulsory
Children face many challenges as they grow up and navigate the world and relationships, and unfortunately some face real dangers such as sexual exploitation and abuse, which is why it is disappointing that life skills will not be made a compulsory part of the school curriculum.
Guest Blog from Dawn Rees, Principal Policy Adviser: Future in Mind
The Mental Health Task Force set out a strong health-economics platform for improving the emotional health and wellbeing of children – 75% of adult mental health problems start by the age of 18.