Criminal justice and youth violence
Young people's feedback & experiences about safety in their community (insight briefing)
Young Scot · 2025
About this report
This insight briefing draws on secondary analysis of multiple surveys conducted by Police Scotland and Young Scot to examine young people's experiences of community safety, policing, and crime across Scotland. Key findings show that while most young people have broadly positive views of their local police, satisfaction drops when they actually contact the service, and those living in areas of higher deprivation feel significantly less safe. Awareness of rights, quality of communication, and trauma-informed policing are identified as priorities for improving young people's safety and confidence in police.
Research details
- Methodology
- SurveySecondary analysisMixed methods
- Sample size
- 2,014
- Sample
- Young people across Scotland aged 11–26, surveyed via Police Scotland and Young Scot surveys; includes sub-groups by deprivation (SIMD), disability, ethnicity, and LGBT+ identity.
- Place
- Scotland
- Youth involvement
- No youth involvement