A boy a girl look at the camera with a stern expression Young people who break the law in Scotland are treated differently from adults. They don’t go to court to be dealt with or to prison (unless they have committed a very, very serious crime).
Everyone takes it very seriously when young people break the law. They are dealt with through the Youth Justice System.
This System involves many different agencies and people who all work together to try and ensure that young people who commit crimes learn form their mistakes and change how they behave.
If a young person commits a crime the police will usually pass the details to a Children’s Reporter. The Children’s Reporter will gather all the information they can about what has happened and decide what to do with the young person.
The Children’s Reporter can decide 3 things. See The Legal Process as this explains what happens.
Did you know... ? "50% of young people between the ages of 12 and 15 years are victims of crime."
Guide to the Youth Justice System
The law in ScotlandThe Legal ProcessChildren's Hearing
The law in ScotlandThe Legal ProcessChildren's Hearing