Keeping young people out of gangs

According to analysis of NHS Digital data by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the number of children seeking help for mental health problems has increased by 28 per cent during the pandemic. 

Mental health difficulties, loneliness and living in poverty are tick boxes criminal gangs look out for when hunting new recruits. 

The promise of money, drugs, status is tempting for some vulnerable young people – so what can we do to protect them? 

Thinking differently

The regular interactions young people normally have with teachers, youth offending case workers, friends and family have been impacted, as a result of the pandemic.

It’s unsurprising that young people have felt more disengaged. It’s this disconnection that we need to quickly address. 

The last year has taught us that technology can provide a valuable lifeline when being in the same room isn’t possible. 

There’s never been a better opportunity to introduce new ways of connecting with young people to guide them away from a life of crime. It could be argued that a criminal gang’s most powerful tool is the mobile phone. 

It’s a simple way for them to send instructions, keep tabs on their gang members and maintain their involvement with criminal activity. 

To succeed in keeping young people out of the grasp of criminal gangs, the organisations trying to protect them need to be making better use of the digital generation’s preferred methods of communication.

Better connection 

Youth officers need simple or automatic ways to send individuals reminders about forthcoming appointments or offer messages of support to help them keep on track. 

Imagine the benefits if young people could reach out for help whenever they needed it – if they could keep their case worker updated on how they are feeling or click a button on their phone to send an emergency alert if they feel unsafe. 

Feeling supported when at their most vulnerable is often the key to helping many young people turn a corner in their lives. Often a human connection enables this change, if technology can make it easier to establish this, say via an app on their phone, then we can prevent young people from feeling isolated.

Spotting the signs 

It’s not just communication where a mobile phone could be valuable. A mobile device also allows youth workers to be more effective when they come into contact with young people. 

For example, if a youth worker is called out to see a child at the last minute, how effective could that encounter be, if a quick glance at their phone showed them the child has a long history of absences from school, or repeated visits to an A&E department. 

No doubt appropriate interventions could be put in place quicker. The ability to access and update files in the field is already bringing rewards in prioritising victims in policing and it could have a similar impact for helping young people. 

Gangs will continue to seek out teenagers to exploit but technology can help enhance the human connection, which can help prevent young people becoming trapped in a never-ending cycle of crime. 

Marco Fiorentino is director of justice and enforcement at Northgate Public Services, which provides specialist software to the justice, probation and prisons areas of the public sector.​