Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children
Race, racism and racial bias are powerful social factors in children’s lives but are not always explored in safeguarding reviews or practice. This can lead to missed risks and weaker professional responses for Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
Key information
Safeguarding reviews highlight several recurring themes when protecting Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children. These points can help practitioners strengthen their understanding and professional responses.
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Racism and bias influence risk and responses
Factors relating to race, culture and discrimination are not always explored in assessments, leading to gaps in understanding risk and vulnerability. -
Disproportionality signals systemic issues
Black and Mixed Heritage children are overrepresented in safeguarding reviews, while Asian children are underrepresented. This suggests gaps in how harm is recognised and escalated. -
Children’s experiences of racism must inform assessments
Reviews show that professionals do not always recognise how racism or cultural misunderstanding shape children’s daily lives, emotional worlds and sense of safety. -
Adultification reduces empathy and minimises harm
Some children were assumed to be more mature or resilient than they were, which reduced professional concern and delayed protective action. -
Intersectionality strengthens decision‑making
Race interacts with poverty, immigration status, disability, domestic abuse, mental health and neglect. Strong practice makes these connections visible and considers their combined impact. -
Practitioners need confidence to talk about race
Avoiding conversations about racism leads to weaker analysis. Open, confident discussion improves clarity, understanding and safeguarding decisions.
Video explainers
Animation
Watch this short animation as an individual or in your teams to learn more about the key issues highlighted by our analysis.
National and local reviews
Thematic analysis
‘It’s Silent: Race, racism and safeguarding children’ analyses what happened to 53 children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds who were the subject of child safeguarding reviews. The sample was 40 rapid reviews and 14 local child safeguarding practice reviews (LCSPRs) with incidents that took place between January 2022 and March 2024.
Key findings include:
- race remains a largely unexplored factor in safeguarding reviews. While there have been improvements over time in the inclusion and reporting of race and ethnicity in reviews, this was not always translating into a thorough consideration of its impact on practice and decision-making
- understanding race, ethnicity and culture in safeguarding practice is essential for understanding the diverse experiences of children and families, addressing disproportionality, mitigating bias and stereotypes, building trust and promoting equity and inclusion.
Local reviews
If you are writing a rapid review or commissioning an LCSPR involving Black, Asian or Mixed Heritage children, consider the learning from these published reviews as part of your work.
A case study about a six-year-old girl with dual-heritage who fell from an upstairs window at home, resulting in severe injuries.
A case study about a three-year-old boy of Black British heritage who died. The cause of death was undetermined, but he was severely malnourished.
Infographics and statistics
Briefing papers and learning
Briefing papers
These short guides are intended to be used by individuals or teams to understand and reflect on some of the key issues raised by the thematic analysis.
Explores how children’s voices, particularly from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds, are often missing in safeguarding reviews.
Examines how language and adultification can obscure racism, reinforce bias and impact how Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children are protected.
Learning points
What can you learn from this review and what steps can you take to ensure that children’s identities and voices are fully represented in your work to safeguard children?
Recognition of racism and racial bias as a societal issue is a crucial step in reflecting on, and learning more about how Black, Asian and Mixed heritage children are safeguarded.
How confident do you feel to name and challenge racism?
Racialised experiences shaped these children’s lives – but their voices did not shape professional responses.
How do you ensure you listen to the voice and experience of the child, understand their background and consider how culture and identity shape their needs?
Adultification refers to the concept that “notions of innocence and vulnerability are not afforded to certain children”. It can erase the innate vulnerability of children and replace it with culpability and a narrative of blaming them for their abuse.
Am I holding this child to expectations that match their developmental stage, or am I assuming greater maturity because of their identity?
Poverty, mental ill health, domestic abuse, isolation, inequalities all arising from race, ethnicity or immigration status all need to be considered.
Do you understand the intersecting aspects of children’s identities?
Webinar
This webinar took place on Tuesday 29 April 2025 to inform child protection professionals about the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s report: ‘It’s Silent’: Race, racism and safeguarding children’.
It includes an overview of the key themes and reflective questions for leaders and practitioners.
Slide pack
Download and adapt these slides to reflect on your local practice to safeguard children.
We encourage local safeguarding children partnerships and team leaders who work with children in different multi-agency settings to edit this resource for local use.
Further resources
- Listen Up: Pushing Forward: Testing learning on Adultification in Child Safeguarding Practices in England
- Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse: Research study on improving responses to the sexual abuse of Black, Asian and minority ethnic children
- Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme: The Role of the Police in Responding to Child and Adult Vulnerability: A Meta-Analysis of 126 Reviews of Death and Serious Harm
- Race Equality Foundation: Racial Disparities in Mental Health: Literature and Evidence Review
- HM Inspectorate of Probation: Adultification Bias within Child Protection and Safeguarding
- NSPCC: Safeguarding Children who come from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic communities