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Youth club closures increase crime rate and exam failure among young people, report finds

2 mins read Youth Work
Young people are more likely to perform worse at school and be involved in crime due to “austerity-induced” youth club closures over the last 14 years, a report has found.
Some youth bodies used the call for evidence as a chance to express frustrations about existing guidance. Picture: Adobe Stock
Teenagers impacted by a lack of youth clubs in their area were 14% more likely to commit crimes, research finds - Adobe Stock

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report looked at offending rates and exam results among teenagers who live in an area where all their youth clubs within a 40 minute walk have closed.  

It found that teenagers impacted by a lack of youth clubs in their area were 14% more likely to commit crimes and their exam results dipped by 4%.

The average decline in GCSE performance was the equivalent of half a grade in one subject, with a more pronounced dip among children entitled to free school meals, who received the equivalent of a grade worse in one subject.

In areas where youth clubs had closed the offending rate among 10- to 17-year-olds increased from 14 to 16 per 1,000 young people.

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