Between 2018 and mid-2022, 48 children were strip-searched across Suffolk under the police's stop and search powers, research has revealed.
According to Children's Commissioner Offices, and Freedom of Information requests to various police forces, it has been revealed that almost 3,000 children were strip-searched over the last four years.
It was also revealed that more than half of those, 52%, were conducted without an adult present.
Tim Passmore, Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner said that nothing has "come up" from the question of how they were performed and conducted.
He said: "Strip-searching is a legitimate tool for investigating and preventing crime.
"I really want to reassure people that the last thing anybody wanted to do is strip-search children.
"Nothing in the report published suggested that Suffolk Constabulary did anything wrong in how they went about the searches.
"I would take an extremely dim view and be appalled if the guidelines and regulations had been flouted in Suffolk and I have absolutely no shred of evidence that this is the case.
"Safeguarding is absolutely vital, we take it very seriously."
Children's commissioner for England, Dame Rachel De Souza, who also co-founded Norfolk and Suffolk school trust, Inspiration Trust in 2012, said the findings demonstrate "evidence of deeply concerning practice" with "widespread non-compliance" with safeguards.
In her report, Dame Rachel said that, while she accepts that strip-searching children can be necessary for limited situations, it is an “intrusive and potentially traumatic power” which must be subject to “robust safeguards”.
The report states some rules and laws that could be introduced to help maintain safeguarding standards.
Mr Passmore continued: "I think it clearly needs to be tightened up.
"These strip searches need to be done in an appropriate place, that is absolutely crucial.
"In terms of strip-searching a juvenile without an adult present, it needs to be an exceptional circumstance for that to happen.
"I am perplexed as to why there appear to be so many cases when they've not adhered to the guidelines."
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