In a statement to The Sunday Post, Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner said:

“Good relationships with trusted adults are key to healthy childhoods and police play an important role in keeping children and young people safe in our communities. This useful research reinforces the need to take a human rights-based approach to policing, especially in relation to children.

“In 2014 when the data was collected my office argued that although lawful and proportionate use of stop and search was a legitimate tool, there were serious concerns about its use in relation to children. We know that children are far more likely to be victims of crime than to be a risk to others. It is no surprise that excessive use of stop and search of children did have a negative impact on the way police were perceived and the research makes clear how important subsequent law and practice changes were, and remain.”