Half of all strip searches result in no further police action, data published by the Metropolitan Police Service shows.
Of the 800 strip searches carried out by the Met Police in 2024, 451 incidents resulted in no action such as an arrest or caution.
However, campaigners argue the impact of these searches, especially on children, can be lasting, regardless of whether any police action follows.
Racial equality think tank Runnymede Trust‘s communications and engagement manager Sophia Purdy-Moore said: “Each child or young person’s experience of it will be one of trauma.
“We have found that strip searching can cause anxiety, depression and impact educational attainment for the worst, as well as performance in life.”
The College of Policing describes what is termed a more thorough search as one involving the removal of more than jacket, outer coat or gloves which exposes intimate parts of the body.
Between 2024, 51 children under 18 were subject to a strip search, with 30% of these resulting in no further action.
The practice came under widespread criticism following the case of Child Q, a 15-year-old black girl who was strip searched while on her period at school, after being accused of smelling of cannabis.
In response to this case, the previous Conservative government launched a consultation on changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 which
The consultation looked at ways to strengthen the safeguards for children and vulnerable persons who were subject to searches involving the exposure of intimate parts, without hindering the police’s ability to keep the public safe.
The Labour Party similarly committed to introduce new legal safeguards around strip-searching children and young people.
However, campaigners argue there is no safe way for police to strip search a child.
Established in 2010, StopWatch is an organisation which researches and scrutinises police’s use of stop and search powers.
StopWatch executive director Habib Kadiri said: “Why is vulnerability being met with force?
“This idea that you are engaging in childhood policing so that you can somehow reduce crime and keep children safe, those things are not compatible with each other.”
Purdy-Moore added: “Those two things don’t go together, they are very much opposing concepts.”
Kadiri argued that, in the exceptional circumstances where strip searching is required, it should be carried out by a social worker or other support staff.
He said: “It just can’t be the police as they are the ones that, no matter how friendly they may want to come across, they are the ones who legally are allowed to use force.”
Runnymede is instead calling for the strip searching of minors to be scrapped altogether, and instead for more money to be invested in harm prevention.
Purdy-Moore said: “Prioritising care and safety, genuine safety, not this sort of criminalisation, particularly for children.
“So that means investing, investing in counseling, access to therapy and all sorts, access to a meal as children are coming to school hungry.”
The Home Office was approached for comment.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We have a duty to do everything we can to prevent children in London from being used in the supply of drugs or involved in knife crime as either victims or offenders.
“We know these searches are intrusive and should only be used where there is a risk of serious harm to the child or others, and where used we must ensure that children are protected and safeguarded.
“We introduced a new policy to improve these types of searches in May 2022, including the requirement of Inspector authorisation, mandatory safeguarding referrals and new guidance for officers.”
Featured image credit: Free to use from Unsplash
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