The crime and disorder act 1998: Conflicting roles for the appropriate adult

Traditionally the role of the appropriate adult has been to support children and other vulnerable people detained in a police station. Their role is limited to the period of detention. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 extends the role of the appropriate adult to include being present at the time of issuing any caution under the Act. It also imposes on those involved in the youth justice system (including the appropriate adult) a duty to prevent offending by children and young people. This article explores the tensions that these changes will create between the traditional role and that envisaged under the Act.