Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Home Office Research Study 232

This report on the Dalston Youth project II (DYP II) describes a new and innovative approach to working with children aged 11 - 14 years who are at risk of being excluded from school, by offering them mentoring support, combined with supplementary education. The project was carried out over one year with a group of 30 young people, and repeated in years 2 and 3 with a new group of people.

Research has repeatedly shown that young people are at risk of offending if they come from unstable family backgrounds and have poor relationships with their parents. The research also indicates that young people who receive inadequate parental supervision and have delinquent siblings and peers are more likely to offend. Poor performance at school and truancy, together with disruptive behaviour and low levels of achievement are all associated with delinquency.

The project is located within the London Borough of Hackney, and works with young people who are at risk of becoming involved in criminal activities. It offers support to the young people during early adolescence and encourages them towards a safer, more socially acceptable lifestyle. The four main components of the programme are:

• residential weekend

• mentoring component

• educational component

• parent/guardian component

There were four aims and objectives to the project which were:

1. To improve basic education skills (literacy, numeracy, life skills) in the target group as well as to increase the group’s motivation to learn.

2. To improve social skills and reduce conflict with parents and other adults.

3. To reduce offending rates, drug use, truanting or other at-risk behaviour within the target group.

4. To establish a team of volunteers in the local community trained and supported by the project to act as mentors to the young people.

To download the full report click here. PDF (22 Kb)