Police officers’ awareness of the speech, language and communication needs of young offenders
Citation
MacRae, A. & Clark, A. (2021) 'Police officers’ awareness of the speech, language and communication needs of young offenders', The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 94(4), pp. 539-555.
Abstract
Around 60% of young people in conflict with the law experience speech, language and
communication needs (SLCN). This study investigates Police Scotland officers’ awareness of
the SLCN of young offenders, strategies officers use to support SLCN and their interest in
further training on SLCN. A majority had worked with young offenders with SLCN and were
fairly confident in recognising these needs. The most common support strategy was to
involve outside agencies, specifically Appropriate Adults. Increased speech and language
therapy services are needed to train Police Officers to recognise and support SLCN without
reliance on other agencies.