Shock tactics to show the consequences of perpetrating crime are a long-standing staple of youth offending interventions. From prison visits for young people in trouble to the sharing of images of seized weapons on social media, police and youth justice agencies have used such tactics in the belief that it will scare young people into changing their behaviour.
However, latest studies on the effectiveness of these methods in reducing youth violence and crime has called into question the approach, with some suggesting it may actually increase young people's risk of offending.
Recent research from the Youth Endowment Fund, that analysed prison awareness programmes, where vulnerable young people hear first-person testimonials, concluded that such approaches may increase the likelihood that children and young people become involved in criminal activity. Although these programmes may have some positive impact on attitudes towards criminal activity, the fund finds this does not translate into reductions in offending rates.
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