Parents of young offenders ‘complicit’

YOUNG offenders involved with probation projects typically have “ineffective” or “violent” parents, according to an internal Government review.

Half of the projects said they dealt with situations where the parents or other family members of the youth were actively complicit in the offending behaviour.

The internal review of 14 community projects was conducted by the Young Persons Probation, part of the Probation Service and the Irish Youth Justice Service. Detailed interviews with the staff of these projects found that:

* Young offenders have little capacity to deal with everyday problems without “blowing a fuse”;

* Many see little wrong with their offending behaviour and show little motivation for change;

* Drug and alcohol use is so widespread a problem that one project said smoking a joint was seen by young people in the same way as eating a packet of crisps;

* There is a significant lack of expectation in education both by the young people and their parents.

All 14 projects said the family was a “key factor” in offending behaviour.

“At least eleven projects indicated situations where parenting was ineffective, where parents had effectively relinquished responsibility for effective supervision and/or where young people experienced violence as a norm in the home,” the report states.

“Seven projects reported circumstances where parents and/or family networks were actively complicit in offending behaviour, excessive drug and alcohol use or more generally in promoting anti-social attitudes.”

Projects also experienced parents who took responsibility and tried their best to change the behaviour of their son or daughter.

The 14 projects — located in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Louth, Galway, Kerry, Wexford and Kilkenny — cited theft and public order, often linked to alcohol, as the main crimes being committed.

Eight projects said young people were involved in burglary. Five projects said offenders were involved in drug dealing and were often used to demand debts from users and suppliers.

Staff said the young people involved had poor, limited ability to manage anger or aggression, were impulsive, lacked the ability to make good judgment and had little empathy towards others.

Despite these issues, the report said most staff still believed the young people had “the capacity to act pro-socially”, but faced significant barriers in their personal and social circumstances in doing so.

The review team set four broad aims for these projects: to reduce impulsiveness of offenders, build pro-social behaviour, improve motivation to change and improve the circumstances of the young people, often in the home.

The report pointed out that figures showed that only 5% of the 12-17-year-old population offended each year.

It said most young offenders will stop offending in their early 20s, but that some will continue and run the risk of making crime a career.

Tough lives

FAMILY issues noted in 72 young people attending one project.

* 67% had experienced a significant family trauma.

* 56% said there was parental marital conflict.

* 44% said there was drug or alcohol abuse.

* 20% said there were financial /accommodation problems.

* 18% had an abusive mother.

* 13% had a abusive father.

* 15% of parents were uncooperative.