Hey, Emma Geraghty (Pronounced Geh-rah-tee) here 👋
I’m Irish, hence the funny sounding second name. Compared to Dublin, London is HUGE. I’m living in London over 10 years and I still manage to get on the wrong tube now and then 😅
I love to take photos and I’m currently learning Spanish (es dificil pero divertido – a veces!) and when we meet, I will more than likely show you pictures of my rescue cat, Cleo!
Attending youth services really shaped my life, for the better. I may not have finished college, but I did volunteer in my community for years before going back to university to study Youth & Community Work. I proudly became the first person in my family to get a degree! Ever since then, I have worked as a youth worker in schools, youth centres, community services, even the hair industry, meeting and learning from incredible people along the way.
Every child and young person is different, yet sadly, the same patterns of injustice and hardship continue to show up in their lives.
Did you know some children are treated more like adults, particularly in situations involving police contact? This is called ‘adultification’ and particularly impacts Black children and is a form of racial bias. We continue to hear about young people being stopped and searched and, in some cases, even strip searched, without fully understanding their rights or having their voices heard. These experiences can be deeply distressing and can shape how children and young people view themselves and the world around them.
There is a real need to listen, to amplify their voices and to work towards a system that better protects, supports and respects them. Who better than the children and young people with lived experience of these issues to learn do this? At Just for Kids Law, I’m working with these children and young people aged 11-17 from England and Wales to campaign about children’s rights and policing.
Wanna join? Or find out more info? Email me at [email protected]