Public attitudes to youth crime: report on focus group research
Occasional Paper 105 presents findings from focus groups that explored public attitudes to youth crime.
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Occasional Paper 105 presents findings from focus groups that explored public attitudes to youth crime. The topics included the respondents’ views of the extent of crime and anti-social behaviour in the local community; appropriate disposals for young offenders; and volunteering and the role of the community in supporting youth justice.
Participants felt that youth crime had a destructive effect on their neighbourhoods. However, there was substantial support for tackling low-level, first-time offending by young offenders without resort to formal prosecution. Although some respondents did volunteer, there were differing views about the challenges of working with hard to reach young people in the community.