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Assaults on children and staff in the youth secure estate increased during the year to March 2026, despite fewer children being involved in violent incidents, according to the latest Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service statistics.
The Safety in the Children and Young People Secure Estate bulletin shows there were 1,926 assault incidents between April 2025 and March 2026, including 110 classified as serious. The rate of assaults rose by 11% to 423.9 incidents per 100 children and young people compared with the previous 12 months.
Although the number of assault incidents increased, the number of individual children involved as assailants or fighters fell by 7%, from 780 to 723.
Assaults on staff also increased over the same period. There were 952 incidents, including 52 serious assaults, with the rate rising by 15% to 209.5 incidents per 100 children and young people.
Self-harm remained a significant concern, with 1,474 incidents recorded during the year. However, the rate of self-harm fell marginally by 1% to 324.4 incidents per 100 children and young people. The number of individual children who self-harmed also decreased by 5%, from 233 to 221.
Use of force continued to rise, with 4,329 incidents recorded between April 2025 and March 2026. This represented a 5% increase in the rate to 952.8 incidents per 100 children and young people. Despite this, the number of individual children involved in use of force incidents fell by 10%, from 863 to 780.
The figures also highlight differing trends in the use of separation across the secure estate. In Secure Children's Homes, there were 402 separations involving 121 children, with the separation rate falling by 33% compared with the previous year. In the Secure Training Centre, 269 separations were recorded, with the rate remaining unchanged, although the number of individual children separated fell by 14%.
In Young Offender Institutions, however, separations increased to 948 incidents, with the rate rising by 4% despite a 15% reduction in the number of individual children subjected to separation.
No deaths were reported in the children and young people secure estate during the year to March 2026. The bulletin notes that the last recorded death in the estate occurred in June 2019.
The quarterly statistical publication covers assaults, self-harm, deaths, use of force and separation across the children and young people secure estate in England and Wales. It does not include data relating to Oasis Restore Secure School.
To read the report in full, click here.
