I think strip searches are horrific. They make you feel disgusted, abused, belittled, but mainly violated.  

(Tyler, 16 years)      

Since the shocking experiences of Child Q were brought to public attention, progress has certainly been made in strengthening protections for children who are strip-searched.

However, policymakers and Parliamentarians still have very limited evidence from children and young people themselves about their experiences of strip search, and rarely do we hear their views about how the system should be reformed.

This report aims to address that gap, by drawing on the experiences of strip search described by 10 children and young people to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children in Police Custody to make 5 key recommendations for reform.

Although in police custody strip search is often carried out to ensure the child’s safety, far from feeling safe children and young people described feeling violated and humiliated by the experience, even where officers were respectful in their approach.

Young witnesses to the Inquiry recognised that there may occasionally be circumstances in which a strip search is necessary, but that this should be done only as an ‘absolute last resort’. For those few children who must be strip searched, the report recommends additional measures to improve support for children, and their families, and to ensure robust and independent scrutiny in every police force area.