I thougth that CRB checks were to protect children from paedophiles. I know someone who had a caution for having a small amount of cannabis at a music festival as a 18 year old. This was a mistake, and he has learnt a hard lesson as he has been penalised for this in the jobs market even though he has gone onto get a Degree and does not have a drugs problem at all. Is it necessary for this and other minor cautions to go on record? The police should be able to use their discretion a bit more and give one off offences a 'ticking off' without it blighting their lives and ruining their chances. The majority of youths make a mistake and learn form it, they should not be criminalised.
Teenagers should be allowed to make one mistake without being criminalised, every one learns from mistakes.
I totally agree with this as I have been young and had two warnings, one for criminal damage and another cannabis warning, I have now got a degree and done a post graduate course and want to teach. I feel this strain of a CRB check and its always overshadowing me. The worst thing is the police officers tell you ‘its fine it won’t be on your CRB’.