Report Says Black Youth Are 8 Times More Likely Than White Peers To Be Strip-Searched By UK Police

The report detailed that Black children account for more than a third of all child strip searches in the UK.

A new report has staggering findings about the treatment of Black youth by police in the United Kingdom.

The report, released by the Children’s Commissioner, determined Black children as eight times more likely to face strip searches by police in comparison to their white counterparts. According to the BBC, the results have left state leadership to call for new policies addressing this racial disparity.

Although the report also dictated that children’s strip searches have significantly decreased, down 56% in 2024 from the 854 documented in 2020, its findings concluded that Black children still remain a target for police investigation. The report, led by Dame Rachel de Souza, even confirmed that Black children were five times more likely to experience force by police during these stop and searches, subjecting them to more aggression in these encounters.

Black children remain disproportionately targeted in strip searches. However, they only make up a small portion of the UK’s population of kids from 10 to 17 years old. The report detailed that over a third of strip searches occurred on Black children, with some instances using force on children even younger than age 11.

“Although only 6% of the population of 10-17 year olds in the 2021 census were Black, 35% of the children strip searched were of Black ethnicity,” detailed the report.

Dame Rachel confirmed that while strip searches have declined, the persisting amount has troubled the agency, which upholds children’s rights in the country. The report noted that many of these searches continue to take place in public, often without an adult present, another element condemned by the Commissioner.

“I am particularly concerned about the ethnic disproportionality as to why officers say force was needed: White children are more likely to be described as having a mental health need, while for Black children the reason identified is simply their size or build,” stated Dame Rachel.

The Commissioner added, “We cannot accept that black children are subjected to the use of force because of the way they are perceived.”

In light of these publicly released results, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has created updates to its procedure regarding stop and searches. The council noted that it would issue a “child-centered approach” when conducting strip searches.

The council added that changes took place in light of the Commissioner’s previous report on child strip searches in 2022. However, racial implications have prompted the council’s Deputy Chief Constable to assure that new policies will combat the issue.

“While there are positive signs in that the number of strip searches have been falling over time, we continue to work with policing partners, stakeholders and academics to understand and address the disproportionate use of stop and search, which we understand can undermine trust between policing and communities,” shared the Deputy Chief Constable, Andy Mariner.

Brits have also called out the excessive strip searches targeting Black children through public demonstrations, particularly in light of a 2022 police encounter with a 15-year-old UK teen. The co-ed, a Black girl, underwent a forceful search that led to the public reveal of her genitals while on her menstrual cycle. While two of the three officers involved were dismissed, child strip searches remain a point of contention for UK residents over police accountability.