Break the cycle of neglect and reoffending

But the reality is that it is vulnerable young people who are more at risk of engaging in criminal activity. The likelihood of offending is clearly socially skewed towards teenagers living in deprived areas and from low-income backgrounds. Pathways into offending are created from social conditions that affect young people during difficult transitions into adulthood.

Home Office statistics show the peak age for cautioning and conviction is between 15 and 25 - demonstrating the importance of targeting anti-crime initiatives at young people. For many young people who cause trouble there are distinct social trends that mark the potential for offending, largely relating to poverty and low levels of aspiration. Feelings of isolation and underachievement can often provoke groups of young people in deprived areas to be antisocial. Interventions during this period are best placed to deter offending, while failure to tackle isolation and neglect risks embedding offending patterns.