Building trust and safety key to diverting young people from crime, new research finds

University of Limerick research finds trust, patience, and consistent support from youth workers can help steer vulnerable young people away from crime

'Trusted adults can help crime-involved young people build resilience and improve their social and emotional welfare. This could enhance their ability to cope with adverse circumstances without resorting to crime or related behaviours such as drug misuse.' File picture 

Creating a place of “safety” for young people involved in crime is the “foundation” upon which youth justice workers can help divert them from antisocial behaviour and criminality, according to research.

The study says youth workers can then build trust, spend time doing so, and support young people with their challenges.

In a research project spanning three years, academics from the University of Limerick examined the relationship between 27 young people and 24 youth justice workers across 16 different State youth diversion projects.

“We found that effective relationships with youth justice practitioners can help divert young people from crime,” the report said.

In addition to safety, trust, time, and support, the research also identified seven other skills that created the type of relationships that changed things for young people in, or at risk of, involvement in crime.

The seven skills are: Being fully committed; showing empathy; advocating for the juvenile; being flexible; being self-reflective; being honest and challenging the young person constructively; and building the young person’s agency.

Young people appreciated the reliability of youth workers, their willingness to listen without judgment and their patience in allowing the relationship to develop at a natural pace. 

This strong foundation helped the young person recognise when they were struggling to deal with life’s difficulties and be better able “to cope with strain”. 

They reported being better able to “control their impulses” and also “react to arguments” and disputes.

The research, “Better Together”, was conducted by the Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes, and Practice Project, at UL school of law.

“Our research highlights the importance of practitioners’ demonstrating trustworthiness over time with young people,” the study said. 

“Trusted adults can help crime-involved young people build resilience and improve their social and emotional welfare. This could enhance their ability to cope with adverse circumstances without resorting to crime or related behaviours such as drug misuse.”

The report stresses the “persistence” for youth workers. “They repeatedly try to initiate relationships (even if young people are initially reluctant to engage) and, once established, they work to maintain their relationships through often difficult circumstances.”

• Cormac O'Keefe is Security Correspondent.