Special Educational Needs and Disabilities of Children in Custody: A Systematic Review of International Research
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| Title: | Special Educational Needs and Disabilities of Children in Custody: A Systematic Review of International Research |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Scott Thomas (ORCID |
| Source: | Review of Education. 2025 13(2). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 36 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Information Analyses Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Special Needs Students, Students with Disabilities, Children, Childrens Rights, Student Rights, Civil Rights, Institutionalized Persons, Correctional Institutions, Youth, Federal Legislation, Foreign Countries, Legal Problems, Labeling (of Persons), Attitudes toward Disabilities, Social Bias, Child Neglect, Child Abuse |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom (England), United Kingdom (Wales) |
| DOI: | 10.1002/rev3.70081 |
| ISSN: | 2049-6613 |
| Abstract: | The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNRC) was introduced to guarantee the rights of all children to an education and to ensure that the imprisonment of children is used as a last resort and that children who are detained are treated with humanity. However, children who are imprisoned are disadvantaged in both respects. Research shows that providing and improving education in custody helps to reduce the possibility of recidivism and high crime rates in young offenders. This review, drawing on evidence from 18 papers, focuses on the education of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in custodial settings. In England, although the legal rights of children with SEND are outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, this review demonstrates that these rights are not upheld. This systematic literature review analyses 18 papers from predominantly, but not exclusively, England and Wales. The results indicate that both the education and youth justice systems globally are disabling and criminalising children through processes that, often unintentionally, label, stigmatise, isolate, neglect and harm children with SEND. We propose an original international framework to support the assessment of SEND of children in custody, and an original international inclusion framework for leaders in custodial settings. Both frameworks, we suggest, will help prison leaders to better identify and support children with SEND who are being held in custody, thus underscoring the significance of our research. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1481439 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNRC) was introduced to guarantee the rights of all children to an education and to ensure that the imprisonment of children is used as a last resort and that children who are detained are treated with humanity. However, children who are imprisoned are disadvantaged in both respects. Research shows that providing and improving education in custody helps to reduce the possibility of recidivism and high crime rates in young offenders. This review, drawing on evidence from 18 papers, focuses on the education of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in custodial settings. In England, although the legal rights of children with SEND are outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, this review demonstrates that these rights are not upheld. This systematic literature review analyses 18 papers from predominantly, but not exclusively, England and Wales. The results indicate that both the education and youth justice systems globally are disabling and criminalising children through processes that, often unintentionally, label, stigmatise, isolate, neglect and harm children with SEND. We propose an original international framework to support the assessment of SEND of children in custody, and an original international inclusion framework for leaders in custodial settings. Both frameworks, we suggest, will help prison leaders to better identify and support children with SEND who are being held in custody, thus underscoring the significance of our research. |
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| ISSN: | 2049-6613 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/rev3.70081 |
