Youth Diversion Projects show success in reducing criminal activity

The managers and participants in Youth Diversion Projects report improved family relationships, more hope among young people, and better attitudes towards gardaí.

Staff running projects for juveniles involved in crime, and the children taking part in them, say the programmes are successful in reducing criminal activity and improving educational and employment prospects.

The managers and participants in Youth Diversion Projects also report improved family relationships, more hope among young people, and better attitudes towards gardaí.

An independent evaluation of the projects, said to the first of its kind, was broadly positive in its findings, but did flag some issues:

• Drug use is reported to be “ubiquitous and problematic” with some children sucked into criminality, and drug debt, and that an “urgent and comprehensive response was needed”;
• A high proportion of participants are from a “foreign/minority” background (22%) and that this needed to be recognised and consideration given to a “culturally appropriate” response;
• Some young people were being “intimidated” by groups and individuals involved in criminality and said interventions were needed;
• Consideration should be given to providing an appropriate budget to allow the projects to work at weekends. 

The report was commissioned by the Department of Justice, which plans to increase the number of Youth Diversion Projects from 106 to 110 this year.

The study, by Research Matters Ltd, conducted interviews with project workers and managers along with surveys of young people, but was hindered by a lack of Garda data.

“The surveys of youth justice workers, Garda juvenile liaison officers, project managers, and project committee members showed very positive results,” states the report.

“Percentages reporting that projects were successful or very successful in achieving outcomes ranged from 79% to 98% for 11 of the 12 areas on which information was sought.” 

It says the exception was the impact of substance abuse, where the range of improvement was 60%-70%, which was “still a large majority”.

It says these positive results were backed by the survey of young people: “Of those that engaged in criminal or antisocial behaviour before, 72% said that they were less involved now and attributed this to their participation in their project.” 

Nearly six out of ten participants said they were now using less cannabis, while seven out of ten reported improvement in their behaviour towards others, more hope for the future, and their happiness.

New communities were disproportionality present in the Youth Diversion Projects and presented some challenges, including language and cultural issues.

The report says the research showed the value of efforts made by project staff to keep young people involved, the desirability of engaging with young people earlier, and “tempering” expectations of immediate improvements.

The report says that “one of the big changes in attitudes” among the young people was towards gardaí and that the involvement of community gardaí was “pivotal” in this.

Project staff indicated that the scope for change on drug use was “limited”, with an emphasis on harm reduction and making small changes.

The report says some children came from “impoverished” or "chaotic" families. Some did not have their own bed and some were used as drug runners.