Theme: Trauma
Childhood trauma and offending
19 January 2017 | Blog
For a recent piece in Children and Young People Now, Pippa talks about how improving awareness of childhood trauma can help youth justice practitioners rehabilitate young offenders
A trauma-informed approach to working with young people
28 November 2016 | Blog
Future 4 Me offers specialist support to young people leaving custody and leaving care, many of who have experienced trauma. Fran highlights the importance of staff training, multi-agency working and adopting a flexible approach in order to build positive relationships and engage with young people
Is the justice system retraumatising vulnerable young people?
28 November 2016 | Posts
A new report from BYC states that young people in the criminal justice system have a disproportionate amount of childhood and adolescent trauma, and draws out implications for practice
Developing trauma-informed resettlement for young custody leavers: a practitioner’s guide
28 November 2016 | Publications
This practitioner briefing outlines the key features of trauma-informed approaches to working with custody leavers.
Young offenders and trauma: experience and impact: a practitioner’s guide
28 November 2016 | Publications
This practitioner briefing aims to highlight what is currently known about the links between trauma and young people’s behaviour and development.
Ash
26 July 2016 | Case studies
Ash was referred to the vulnerable prisoner unit due to ongoing investigation into historic head injuries, following episodes of impulsive and erratic behaviour
Adam
22 April 2014 | Case studies
Adam has ADHD. His home life had been particularly difficult and traumatic. When he was released from Youth Offenders he needed a high level of support and encouragement in order to turn his life around.
Ches
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Ches had an emotionally traumatic upbringing. His offending behaviour began when he was 13 years old. He has ADHD and has found it difficult to resist peer pressure
Darren
22 April 2014 | Case studies
Darren grew up in an environment where committing crime was something to aspire to. The local Police classed him as a Priority Prolific Offender or PPO. With time and effort he managed to completely change the way that he led his life and is now working full-time and is crime free.
Jack
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Jack’s persistent offending was connected to his misuse of drugs and the lifestyle that accompanied him on a modern housing estate. He is trying to make a break with his past and find full-time training and employment.
Jason
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Jason witnessed drug-taking by his parents from an early age. On release from custody he had a restrictive curfew in addition to high intensive supervision at the YOT. He faced problems with finding a place to live and his paranoia and poor mental health didn’t make it easy for him to live in a hostel-type environment in the meantime.
Katy
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Katy’s troubled home life led her to develop a significant drug habit which quickly developed into an addiction. Katy witnessed the violent death of her boyfriend. She began to get more and more involved in criminal activity in order to buy the drugs she needed to block out the emotional hurt and associated bad memories.
Martin
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Martin formed a bond with the YIF resettlement team which was helped by them bringing him some lunch on the day of his release from YOI. He tried hard to engage in the programme of activities that was provided. Progress was gradual, however he managed to deal with some of the issues which had previously been a problem in his life.
Matthew
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Matthew had an extensive criminal history when he was referred to the YIF project via Probation. He had a history of mental problems which included self-harm. He admits that his crimes were often committed under the influence of alcohol, although accessing the support services that he needed was often the biggest problem that he faced in terms of not reoffending.
Petey
7 April 2014 | Case studies
When Petey was seven years old his substance misusing father used to give him amphetamines which made it difficult for him to concentrate at school. As he got older, Petey spent time living in care and later on he spent time in custody for violent offences. Eventually he became homeless whilst also suffering from psychiatric illness.
Sean
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Sean drifted into criminal behaviour with a group of his friends. After he left school he was dealing drugs and he thought that he wouldn’t get caught. After serving a custodial sentence he became involved with the YIF project and within a year was a peer mentor and role model for others.
Steven
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Steven was considered to be at medium risk of reoffending when he was released from his first custodial sentence. Without a strong network of family and friends, he found resettlement quite difficult. In addition, Steven struggled with substance misuse and mental health problems.
Wayne
7 April 2014 | Case studies
Wayne came out of YOI and went straight into a job that had been organised for him by the YOT. After this particular work had dried up Wayne was able to get involved with a bike project which led to his participation in the Coast to Coast race for charity. He has not reoffended and has become involved with some peer mentoring.