The Report of the Feasibility Group on Youth Crime Pilots
Annex E
EVIDENCE FROM RESEARCH
Effective programmes
There is now an extensive, and increasing body of research evidence which provides pointers towards approaches which have been shown to reduce levels of offending amongst adult offenders and young people who offend. Initially much of this research came from North America, but more recently there have been numerous studies in the UK which have produced similar results. During the last few years researchers have examined a number of programmes in Scotland and identified components which can be shown to have been more, or less, effective in reducing recidivism. 7
The most recent such evaluation of a Scottish programme produced particularly positive results 8. The Freagarrach Project in central Scotland works with persistent young offenders aged 12 - 18, all of whom have had at least 5 "episodes" of offending in the previous year. The project works with the young people individually and in groups, and has a core focus on offending behaviour. Programmes are, however, tailored to the individual needs of each young person, and staff also undertake work on related problems such as educational deficits and substance misuse.
The researchers found that the overall offending rate of young people attending the project decreased by between 20% and 50% in the year after they first started to attend the project. These figures represented 90 and 226 offences respectively. The researchers concluded that the project demonstrated "an impressive degree of success" in reducing the frequency and severity of offending amongst the group of serious and persistent offenders with whom it worked. The research evidence provides clear guidance on the essential elements of effective interventions with young offenders. A key component, which has been consistently identified throughout the research, is an enthusiastic and well-trained staff group which is capable of delivering appropriate programmes in a way which conveys concern and respect for young people whilst also making it clear that offending is unacceptable.
Restorative Justice and Victim-Offender Mediation
"Restorative justice" seeks to balance the concerns of the victim and the community with the need to reintegrate the offender into society. Victim-offender mediation (VOM), which provides a range of options to include the victims in the justice process if they so wish, is central to this approach, and has become an increasingly common element in the way different jurisdictions deal with young people who offend. At one end of the range of options, VOM may simply involve the offender writing a letter of apology to his or her victim. At the other end of the range, it can involve a structured meeting (or "conference") between the victim, the offender and other interested parties, in which the impact of the offence on the impact is examined more closely by all concerned. Within the UK, this approach has been pioneered in a number of areas in England, most notably by Thames Valley police, and it is now a key element of the work of the Youth Justice Board throughout England and Wales.
Although there is increasing research, especially from Australia, into the impact of VOM on the attitudes those involved, there is relatively little data on its effectiveness in reducing re-offending. One Australian study suggests that victims who attend VOM conferences have less fear of further victimisation and are less likely to expect that the offender will re-offend than victims whose case was dealt with in court. In the same study, the young offenders who attended conferences were more likely than those dealt with in court to feel increased respect for the criminal justice system and for the police, and were more likely to think the police were fair. 9
A group of American researchers have, however, undertaken an analysis of 4 separate American studies into the effects on re-offending of participation in VOM. 10 Their analysis showed that young offenders involved in VOM re-offended at a rate 32% lower than non-participants, although it was not possible to identify a causal relationship. The researchers concluded that the study provided support for the view that participation in victim-offender mediation by young people who offend is associated with lower re-offence rates, at least over a one year period. Whilst these results offer some encouragement, the researchers commented that more research was needed to identify which factors in VOM were likely to influence positive outcomes. They also noted that VOM should be undertaken "carefully and with caution", using policies and practices which are sensitive to the wishes of victims, and coerce neither the victim nor the offender,
Young Women who offend
Research into the personal circumstances and background of adult imprisoned women offenders in many jurisdictions has produced similar findings. These women are less likely than their male counterparts to commit violent offences, and tend to commit less serious offences of dishonesty. Their backgrounds are marked by experience of abuse, drug misuse, poor educational attainment, poverty, psychological distress and self-harm. To date there has been less research into the characteristics of girls and younger women who offend and who are dealt with in the community, but there is some evidence to suggest that the circumstances of the most persistent young women offenders are very similar. American researchers have commented that "When the profile of girl offenders is compared to the profile of adult women offenders, both in prison and in community corrections, it becomes clear that they are essentially the same females moving along the system". 11 The same writers note that "…two associations must be considered: the connection between childhood victimisation and offending and the connection between substance misuse and offending". 12
Recent work in Scotland provides further support for this view. The review of women offenders conducted by SWSI and HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, "A Safer Way", noted that girls who were referred to the Children's Hearings on offence grounds were more likely than boys to have previously come to the attention of the Hearings for other reasons 13. The most common early referral grounds for girls related to victimisation through sexual abuse, being "beyond parental control" or being in "moral danger". In addition, when the Social Work Services Inspectorate (SWSI) examined the circumstances of 25 young women aged under 18 years who were remanded in custody or imprisoned during a 4 months period they found a very similar profile. The lives of these young women were characterised by chronic substance misuse, and, in many cases, physical and sexual abuse, as well as a range of educational, employment and accommodation problems.