Examining the issues behind youth offending

One of the big issues highlighted in the new government’s manifesto is youth offending. It has pledged to champion smarter crime prevention and put the fire behind early intervention to help prevent troubled young people from being drawn into crime.

As part of this, there will be a continued focus on preventing young people from re-offending. But what can be done to break this downward spiral – or better still, prevent vulnerable children and young people from getting involved in criminality in the first place?

Looking at the issues

There are a number of factors that children and young people who commit crime can share, according to the Howard League for Penal Reform. Their website states that 50 per cent of young offenders have experienced time in care or substantial social services involvement, 25 per cent have a statement of special educational needs and a staggering 88 per cent have been excluded from school to name just a few of the key reasons.

What strikes me about these factors is that most authorities are aware of the children in their area who fall into these categories because this kind of information comes in regularly from schools and social services.

You can also look at some of the underlying issues cited in a report recently published by the Ministry of Justice that can increase the likelihood of re-offending after release from custody. Issues cited include drug use, accommodation and employment issues or regular truancy from school in childhood. Again, many authorities have access to this kind of information on the children and young people they come into contact with.

Building the bigger picture

Knowing the factors that increase the likelihood of a child entering the criminal justice system – as well as the factors that can keep them coming back – may be the first step to preventing the revolving door of criminality from affecting the lives of the children and families, as well as the communities in which they live.

There is no quick fix solution to cut re-offending. The lives of those involved can be complicated and chaotic. But is it possible that authorities already hold much of the information they need to flag those children most at risk? If so, does this mean that some young people can be helped before they are ever required to set foot in a police station or courtroom?

Phil Neal is managing director at Capita One