The work, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, questions previous assumptions that youth justice practice is evidence-based and young people's views are taken into account. It looks at how those working in youth justice make judgments and says magistrates often disregard the advice of youth offending teams and other professionals.
The research, Youth Justice - stereotype or evidence based?, was released yesterday (15 May). It suggests professionals rely on their own observations and interactions with young people as a primary source of information, rather than reports from third parties.
The study also claims that while young people offered their own explanations for their actions, these were not conveyed to police or magistrates.
Jo Phoenix, senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Bath, who carried out the work, said the findings suggest that decisions and recommendations are based on stereotypes.
"The way practitioners justify their decisions and try to figure out what they ought to do with these young people is lost in judgment of young people's responsibilities and of the family," she said. "Many of these young people are without families or have some difficult family circumstances, meaning they're being held responsible for things beyond their control."
The research was based on 80 interviews with young offenders and youth justice practitioners, including youth offending team workers, lay magistrates, police and solicitors, and included six months of court observation.
www.esrc.ac.uk.
