Child First, Not Offender First: Why Our Approach to Behaviour Needs to Evolve

From Blame to Understanding, and Support that Makes a Difference

A Better Way to Support Children

In the Youth Justice System, there’s a growing recognition that how we respond to children’s behaviour needs to change. At a recent training session on the “Child First” approach, I was struck by how far thinking has evolved, from focusing on the offence, to looking at the behaviour, and now, crucially, to understanding the reasons behind the behaviour.

This shift is long overdue, and it’s one that we at YouCanSay have been working towards for some time, particularly in how we assess and support emotional resilience in young people.

Child First: A New Way of Working

The Child First approach challenges us to stop seeing children as offenders, and instead as individuals with potential, shaped by their experiences. As Case and Browning (2021) describe, this model is grounded in children’s rights, positive development, and strengths-based support. It aims to divert children away from criminal justice involvement, build strong relationships, and promote positive outcomes.

It’s about asking not “What did you do?” but “What do you need?”

The Evidence Shows It Works

The Child First model isn’t just ethical, it’s effective. The accumulated evidence shows it’s associated with:

• Less youth crime and fewer children entering or remaining in custody
• Stronger well-being and development of pro-social identities
• Better system alignment, with national standards backing the practice
• Measured success across pilot and scaled implementations

This approach is transforming outcomes by focusing on support, not punishment.

Why We Developed the ERQ

At YouCanSay, we’ve been running surveys and assessments with children and young people for over 20 years. Our work has focused on understanding their views on health, well-being, school life, and the services designed to support them. We’ve also worked with tools that explore behavioural strengths and difficulties, providing valuable insights into how children are coping and responding to their environment.

As our work developed, we increasingly recognised the importance of understanding not just how children behave or feel, but why. What are the underlying factors that shape their experiences? What influences their ability to cope with challenges, engage with support, and grow into confident, capable young people? A Child First approach.

This led us to develop the Emotional Resilience Questionnaire (ERQ), a tool designed to explore the foundations of emotional resilience and identify the areas where children may benefit most from support.

The ERQ is not about replacing professional judgment or support work. It’s about helping children become more ready and able to engage with that support. It offers insight into where a child may need encouragement or development in order to build the skills that enable them to recover, connect, and succeed.

By focusing on key protective factors like:

• Social support
• Self-regulation
• Problem-solving and flexibility
• Optimism and sense of purpose
• Confidence and self-efficacy

...the ERQ helps identify the building blocks that support resilience and long-term well-being.

Ultimately, the ERQ is designed to give professionals a deeper understanding of each child’s emotional needs, so they can tailor their support in ways that help children overcome challenges, build on their strengths, and move forward with purpose. The ERQ also offers suggestions for how emotional resilience skills can be developed, providing a practical foundation that supports and enhances the effectiveness of the work professionals are already doing with children.

The ERQ 360: Shared Understanding, Coordinated Support

To support a truly joined-up approach, we created the ERQ 360 tool, allowing the child, parents or carers, and professionals to all contribute their views. This creates a consistent, well-rounded picture of the child’s emotional resilience needs.

The ERQ 360 enables teams to:

• Understand the child’s strengths and vulnerabilities from different perspectives
• Spot differences in understanding, and resolve them
• Create joined-up support plans that reflect everyone’s insight
• Track and evaluate how things improve over time

This approach supports more targeted help, reduces miscommunication, and builds shared accountability for the child’s progress.

A Shift in Perspective

In essence, the ERQ moves the conversation away from “What’s wrong with this child?” to “What is holding this child back, and how can we help them move forward?”

That mindset shift is critical, and it’s what both the Child First approach and the ERQ are designed to support.

Conclusion: Putting Children First, in Practice

The Child First approach reminds us that children in the justice system are still children, with lives ahead of them and the right to a future. Tools like the ERQ and ERQ 360 help us understand each child’s emotional resilience needs, so that the work professionals do with them is more likely to succeed. By identifying what’s holding a child back and what can help them engage, we can create the right conditions for meaningful support, stronger relationships, and lasting progress.

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