Children joining riots for the ‘thrill’: Report

Children involved in the riots last summer were primarily motivated by curiosity and the “thrill of the moment,” rather than by far-right ideology or misinformation on social media, according to the children’s commissioner for England. The riots were also driven by a deep mistrust of the police and a lack of opportunities, a new report suggests.

Violence erupted across the country following the murders of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in July 2024. A government spokesperson emphasized the importance of mobilizing the police and criminal justice system to bring all perpetrators, regardless of age, to justice in order to restore order.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner, said her interviews with children who had been charged in relation to the unrest revealed a more complex picture of why they became involved. These findings were released just after Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, during a “meticulously planned rampage” on July 29, which also saw 10 other victims, mostly children, stabbed. False rumors spread online after the attack that the perpetrator was a migrant, and a violent protest occurred the following day. The unrest soon spread, with mosques and hotels housing migrants attacked in various towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the violence as “far-right thuggery” and promised those involved would “face the full force of the law.” According to the children’s commissioner’s report, at least 147 children were arrested, and 84 were charged since the riots, with some as young as 12 sentenced for their involvement.

Dame Rachel’s report emphasized the need to listen to children, regardless of their actions, and to address serious questions about why so many children feel disaffected and disempowered. While the report does not excuse criminal behavior, it paints a more nuanced picture than what has been discussed in the aftermath of the riots. She noted that previous negative experiences with the police and a deep mistrust of authority contributed to the children’s actions, as did the lack of opportunities in their communities.

Dame Rachel criticized the “unusually severe and swift” charges following the riots, arguing that they ignored the potential for rehabilitation. She also pointed out the inconsistencies between regions regarding children’s outcomes, which she described as a “postcode lottery” in how they are treated by the youth justice system.

A government spokesperson reiterated that the violence following the murders brought shame to the nation and emphasized the importance of the criminal justice system in restoring order. The government is also working across sectors to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure that every child has the best start in life.