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Paper

Research pilot ‘schools and (ex-) criminal youngsters’. Integration of ex-delinquent juveniles in education

• issue: Issue 3 / 2008
• authors: Daan Wienke
• keywords: The Netherlands, solution focussed

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• downloaded: 0
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abstract

Background. There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that participation in education, training and employment is a key factor for avoiding engagement in offending behaviour. Preventing young people from engaging in crime is critical to ensuring positive life chances and successful pathways to adulthood. We know that education can help young people develop skills for life and work, and thereby prevent them from falling into cycles of crime. We also know that many young people in the youth justice system face multiple disadvantages; have complex needs, and often face numerous barriers to engaging in education, training and employment.

Purpose. In this pilot-project the main goal is during 2007-2009 to integrate youngsters (12-23 years) with police contacts, or after stay in prison, in education in order to restore or continue their school or school/work career. The unique content of this project is the parallel of use of research and support in regard of both the youngsters and their families as the support of schoolteachers. Goals are:

1. 25 youngsters are after one year integrated in a school- or school/work career,
2. 60% of this group gets a qualification on the end of school year 2007-2008,
3. 20% is part of a education-work project,
4. 100% of the group is under control of the professionals,
5. educators find themselves able to deal with the youngsters,
6. at least 60% of the youngsters have a score of 3/4/5 on the life-area 'criminality' (score 1-5 NP),
7. the work process and the necessary organizational infrastructure can be described.

The status of this pilot can be described as a qualitative research project, with application of a combination of practise- and evidence based methods, and a high level of applied practical value.

Practise-based: the coaching and support for the school workers (teachers, counsellors). Evidence-based: the methods 'New perspectives' and 'Solution focussed social work'). Especially interesting in this project are: explicit goals, the used methods, and the defining of the necessary organizational infrastructure, with regard of successful outcome.

Research questions. How comes that for youngsters with a criminal past it is quite difficult to participate in education? Which are the factors for drop-out? In what way these factors can be identified as belonging to adaptation problems, personality traits, and in how far it can be identified as belonging to dysfunctional properties of the school system? Which methods can be useful for both the youngster and the school worker to come to an effective relationship, in order to continue a school-/work career?

Problem definition. Most of the 34 schools in the province Utrecht are not willing to take in youngsters who have been in prison or who have a severe criminal score. Preliminary investigation learns that schools are willing to corporate under the condition of support and consultation. The question is in how far recently validated practise and evidence based methods have a fitness for use for both groups: youngsters and school workers. The research design can be schematically defined:

 subproject 'integration in school'

Participants: 34 schools in the region Utrecht, school workers (teachers etc.)

subproject 'prevention recidivism and diminishing criminal career'

Participants: Youngsters who leave (youth) prison, Youngsters with at least 5 police contacts last year, Youngsters in the system of youth care, with a score 1 or 2 on the life-area 'criminality' (score 1-5). Totally, there are 25 youngsters involved.

 Assessing processes and results. During this two-year project (with two subprojects) the ongoing process and results will be measured each two months. The measure questions are prescribed by the seven goals already mentioned.

 Results so far. 18 youngsters are momentarily being integrated in a school- or school /work career. The educators find themselves able to deal with these youngsters, with help from the project workers. There has been a half-term evaluation which showed good progress on behalf of the goals. The second measurement on the life-area 'criminality' has not been made so far, so results with relation to their individual progress are unknown so far. On behalf of the methodical aspects is quite clear that the effective interventions are those in which the accompanying is directed at the criminogene risk-factors (intercourse with delinquent friends, truancy behaviour, drugs abuse). Also is quite clear that the family is an important part of the system; parents have to be transferred to a fully responsible party. In corporation with the schools competency trainings will be developed for these youngsters. The counselling of the schoolteachers is directed on cognitive reframing, so as the rational-emotive approach.

Key references

Ministry of Justice (2006). Factsheet 'Youth criminality: prevention of first delicts and diminishing recidivism.

Messing, C., van Veen, D., & Wienke, D. Evaluation rapport Time-out facility in secundary education in Amsterdam. NJi Utrecht.

van Veen, D., & Wienke, D. (2006). Rebound facility in secondary education, a helping hand. NJi Utrecht.

Contacts: dr. Daan Wienke, Dutch Youth Institute NJI, Catharijnesingel 47, 3501 DD Utrecht, the Netherlands, E-mail:d.wienke@nji.nl, Phone 0031302306693.