Black Children In The UK Are 8 Times More Likely To Be Strip Searched by Police, Report Finds
New report reveals how much more likely Black children in the UK are to be strip-searched compared to their white peers.
Black News 
A new report finds that Black children are eight times more likely to be strip-searched by police than their white peers in England and Wales.
A new report published on April 22 finds the number of children strip-searched has more than halved over four years, but warns that ethnic disparities remain and raises concerns about the use of force in some cases, BBC reported. Among the findings from Dame Rachel de Souza’s office of the Children’s Commissioner for England, Black children were nearly five times more likely than their white peers to face force during stop-and-search encounters.
The report, using data from the first half of 2024, estimates 377 strip searches for the year, down 56% from 854 in 2020. Still, Dame de Souza warned there are “far too many” taking place. It also found 26 searches were conducted in public view between July 2023 and June 2024, and 22 occurred without an appropriate adult present—something she said “should never be happening.”
The data revealed clear ethnic disparities, with Black children more likely to be strip-searched than those from other groups.
“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,” the report said.
For the first time, the report examined the use of force in stop-and-search cases, finding most involved children aged 11–17, though 46 incidents included children under 11. Nearly one in five searches involved force, yet 46% led to no further action, raising concerns about whether it was necessary or proportionate. The findings also showed racial disparities, with Black children overrepresented and white and Asian children underrepresented in cases involving force.
“I am particularly concerned about the ethnic disproportionality as to why officers say force was needed,” Dame de Souza said. “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.”
“We cannot accept that black children are subjected to use of force because of the way they are perceived,” she added.
Dame de Souza said the findings show child strip searches can cause lasting harm to mental health and damage trust in police, reflecting a failure to properly support vulnerable children. Following the report, Andy Mariner said policing has updated its strip-search policies since the Children’s Commissioner’s 2022 review.
“We’re introducing extensive safeguards for children and young people for strip searching and bringing in reforms to drive up standards in policing, improve vetting and tackle misconduct,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
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