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Calling the Police

As a parent or caregiver, calling the police is often the last resort, and a very difficult decision. Many parents worry that calling the police will have a negative impact on their child’s future.

Are you able to keep yourself and everyone in your house safe from immediate harm? 

The police want to protect you and ensure you and anyone else in the home are safe. It is important to think about why you may call the police out. This is usually because you are in fear of what your child may do.

Calling the police is about you and your family’s right to feel safe.

By calling the police you are giving your child a very clear sign that you want to keep them and everyone else safe.

We suggest you do not wait to call the police until the physical or verbal aggression is underway but at that point you feel fearful of what may happen.

You and your family  have a right to feel safe in your home.

We suggest you work with the police and call them on a non-emergency number, 101 ( in the UK) in the first instance when there is no aggressive or harmful behaviour happening.

    • Let them know you are seeking support for your child’s behaviour which can mean things may get worse.
    • You want to keep your child and other siblings as well as others in the home safe.
    • If you do have to call the police in an emergency ,you are not looking for your child to become criminalised but for them to feel supported.
    • You may have to call them out more than once
    • If available can you get a police reference number so you can cite this if you call them

If the police are called in an emergency:

The police will talk to your child and explain to them the impact of their behaviour and what can happen if it continues. In some cases, the police will remove your child to a friend, neighbour or relative for a ‘cooling’ down period.

We advise parents to let their child know you will be calling the police if you are in fear of what may happen.

Do not use this as a threat – if you tell your child you are going to do this, then you need to follow through, otherwise the behaviour can escalate.

The police are there to support you and want you to be safe in your home.

Finding Connection with Your Teen During GCSE’s

Finding Connection with Your Teen During GCSE’s

by | Apr 10, 2025 |

In the coming months, thousands of teenagers across the UK will sit their GCSEs. It’s the culmination of years of schoolwork and, for many, a gateway to the next stage of life. But for some young people, it doesn’t feel like that at all.  Instead, exam season can bring fear, anxiety, pressure, and conflict—especially at home.
Many parents are finding themselves in daily battles. Conversations about revision turn into shouting matches. Doors slammed. Tears shed. Some young people may even tip into behaviour that feels unacceptable or unsafe—verbal and physical aggression, or complete withdrawal.
At Capa First Response, we work with families every day who are walking this exact path. And we want you to know this: there is nothing wrong with your parenting. This is hard. For all of you.

Eliza Fricker #CapaCommunityConnections

Eliza Fricker #CapaCommunityConnections

by | Mar 11, 2025 | , ,

Information and the video of the fantastic session from Eliza Fricker. In the video you can hear Eliza talk through her family’s experience with school avoidance, PDA and how it brought her to start illustrating and writing books for parents/carers and for young  people themselves. She shares the story behind ‘Can’t not Won’t’ – the book that became a Sunday Times Bestseller.