Developing the Police Response to Child-to-Parent Violence. N8 Policing Research Partnership (PRP)

In 2018, child-to-parent violence (CPV) was described in the House of Commons as ‘a very significant issue’ and ‘a growing problem’ (HC Deb 21 Feb 2018). As with all forms of family violence, the police are at the forefront of responding to the physical, emotional, psychological and financial harm caused by some children to parents (including step, adoptive, and foster parents) and carers. At the N8 Policing Research Partnership (PRP) Knowledge Exchange Conference 2018, which was on CPV, police officers and academics described the lack of knowledge and practice guidance in this important area of policing. This project was developed in collaboration with two police forces in the north of England to address this knowledge gap. One of the forces covers Site A, a sparsely populated, predominantly rural county. The other covers Site B, a densely populated, predominantly metropolitan urban county. The resident population of Site B is over five times that of Site A.

This report examines the 4,281 cases of CPV by children aged 10 – 19 years reported to police in Sites A and B between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. It also presents insights from interviews with police officers in the sites, and a survey for parents and carers from England and Wales, conducted between 2019 and 2020.