Youth Crime Prevention

What does it mean?

It is normal for young people to behave in challenging ways. Sometimes, however, this can tip over into anti-social and offending behaviour which may result in the police and other people needing to become involved to support a child and stop further behaviour from happening.

It is more useful to provide early help when problems first arise than to intervene later. Offering support at the time of the concerning behaviours can help to:

• Protect a child from harm.
• Improve long-term outcomes.
• Help develop strengths and skills.

 

Videos that explain more…

Stop and Search – This stop and search film explains your rights and what to expect if you are stopped by police. It explains the difference between stop and search and stop and account, when you can be searched, and what makes a search unlawful. Click here

What happens if I commit an offence? – This short film will explain what happens if you are arrested and taken to the police station. Click here

What happens if I go to court? – When a young person goes to court, they will need a parent or carer to attend with them and a solicitor to represent them. When a young person is at court a member of the Youth offending Team (YOT) will also be present. This short film explains what to expect at the youth court. Click here

What happens when a young person gets into trouble? – When a young person gets into trouble they can be dealt with in different ways. This decision will be made by the police and courts but will depend on the nature of the offence and what the young person has to say about what happened. Click here

 

Where can I get local advice and support?

Support is provided by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Offending Teams (YOT).

Who are we?

Our team is made up of several professionals from different agencies, who work together to try and keep young people out of trouble and help them make up for the harm they have caused. We have:

• Caseworkers
• Parenting worker
• Police officer
• Probation worker
• Workers from CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)
• Social workers
• Restorative justice workers
• Education, training and employment Officers
• Therapeutic wellbeing officers

We get involved if a young person: 

• Gets into trouble with the police or is arrested.
• Is charged with a crime and must go to court.
• Is convicted of a crime and given a sentence.

What we do 

We will normally carry out an assessment when we first meet a young person. The assessment helps us understand what has led to the young person getting into trouble, committing crimes, and the risk they pose to themselves or others.

We do the assessment by talking to the young person but will also contact other people involved in their lives, like parents, school, social services and health professionals like CAMHS. We also talk to the victim of the offence, where possible.

How the YOT works with young people on orders and cautions 

We help young people make up for what they have done and then help put their life back on track, so they do not offend again.

We will help with:

• Education, employment and training.
• Understanding the harm and helping young people repair the harm.
• Reparation – paying back for the harm the young person has caused.
• Drugs and alcohol work.
• Offending behaviour work.
• Communication support.
• Support from CAMHS or wellbeing officer.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Crime Prevention

Our Youth Crime Prevention Officers (YCPs) work with young people aged 10 to 16 who are at risk of offending and have not been to court. If a young person has been involved with the police at a low level, YCP aim to stop them from developing patterns of persistent and more serious offending in the future. Engagement with YCP is on a voluntary basis and must be agreed with the family.

You can get in touch with your local team by clicking on the links below:

Hampshire team: Hampshire YCP team

Isle of Wight team: Isle of Wight YCP team

 

Where can I get more advice from National resources?

Link and /or QR code	Description
Youth Justice Board for England and Wales	Youth Justice Board provides information relating to the youth justice system.
Youth Justice Legal Centre	Youth Justice Legal Centre provides legal knowledge and expertise about children’s rights in the criminal justice system.
Unlock	Unlock provides a voice and support for people who are facing stigma and obstacles because of their criminal record, often long after they have served their sentence.
The Sentencing journey leaflet	Produced by the Howard League for Penal Reform, the Sentencing Journey leaflet sets out key things that children aged under 18 years old should expect from the sentencing process. An App has also been developed, which is available on Android devices.