WORK is underway to discover why a disproportionate number of black and mixed heritage boys come into contact with the pan-Dorset youth justice service.

Initial findings suggest that all those who have been spoken to come from families where there was domestic violence, although the analysis is ongoing.

Of all first-time entrants to the justice system under 13 more than three quarters were already known to social services, more than 90 per cent were on fixed term exclusions from schools and more than 40 per cent on permanent exclusion: more than half were receiving help with educational or health needs and 13 of the 25 had committed offences involving the possession of a weapon.

Said the report: “The high level of Special Educational Needs in this group, combined with experiencing trauma at home, perhaps helps to explain the high level of fixed term and permanent exclusions from school which these children had experienced, despite their relatively young age.”

But despite the concerns the number of young people who come into contact with the service has been falling and there were no children and young people from the Dorset Council area given a custodial sentence during the past two years.

Overall figures for both council areas are lower than the national statistics.

Said the report: “There has been a clear reduction in the number of local children entering the justice system over the past four years. Although there have been reductions in both local authority areas, this is particularly so in Dorset. The reduction applies to both males and females, with a larger proportionate reduction amongst females.”

Dorset’s executive director of Children’s Services, Theresa Leavy, said the “game plan” for both council areas was preventing children entering the justice system to begin with as there was strong evidence that once within the system it increased the chances of staying there.

Portfolio holder for children’s service and education, Cllr Andrew Parry, told Dorset Council’s Cabinet that there remained a strong need for a culture of inclusion with evidence that excluding children and young people only led to future problems for them and the community around them.