Black children arrested in London ‘15% more likely to be criminalised’ than white children

The study examined almost 265,000 records of children aged 10 to 17 who were arrested by the Met in London. Photograph: Khim Hoe Ng/Alamy

Black children detained by police are 15% more likely to be “criminalised”, that is charged and put into the criminal justice system, than white children detained for similar types of offences, a study has found.

The report by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), which tackles youth violence, found that black children were 14.8% less likely to be offered diversion, which can include mentoring or counselling, that usually results in them avoiding getting a criminal record at an early age.