CASE STUDY | ASB and challenging behaviour

Reason for referral

YP was referred due to participation in ASB and challenging behaviour.

Goals

• Exploring the risks and consequences of ASB/Gangs
• Exploring aggression and negative emotions
• Exploring positive friendships/relationships
• Raise awareness on joint enterprise
• Raising awareness on the effects of drug misuse

Intervention

• ASB – looked at the consequences of ASB and how this can negatively impact education as well as possibly gaining a criminal record and how this may complicate future career opportunities. Explored real life scenarios of teens involved with ASB and are now facing criminal consequences for their actions; discussed what other options these young people may have had and how their lives may have been different had they chosen another option. Looked at the risks and dangers of committing ASB and how being involved could result in serious physical injuries.
• Gangs – Legal consequences were explored as well as the dangers of being part of a gang; we watched educational videos of teens sharing their experiences of threats made to them by previous gang members due to leaving the gang they were part of. We explored stories told by young people who were pressured into committing criminal activity or aggressive behaviour by their gang members (peers) though once they were considered very good friends. This raised awareness of positive/negative friendships and peer pressure as well as the negative influence being part of a gang can have on young people.
• Joint Enterprise – Exploration around the implications of being in the company of peers associated with criminal behaviour/activity, ASB and/or drug use/dealing. We looked at the laws of joint enterprise, the consequences of joint enterprise and the exploitation from older peers regarding the experience of feeling pressured to be part of the gang when they are committing criminal activities.
• Effects of Drugs – We explored the physical, legal and mental health consequences/risks/dangers of cocaine, heroin, cannabis, ketamine and ecstasy. Awareness of the implications frequent drug use can have on future aspirations.

Outcomes

• YP has distance themselves from a group of friends who regularly participate in ASB and drug misuse and is no longer involved in any incidents connected to this group of friends.
• YP has now refused to associate with people who misuse drugs and avoids putting themselves at risk of joint enterprise.
• YP is now aware of criminal exploitation and how to keep themselves safe from exploitation, and is aware of recognising exploitative behaviour and who to report these concerns to.
• YP has expressed an interest in attending a CSI workshop for secondary aged children as interested in forensic investigation.

Impact

• YP feels more confident and is able to walk away from situation and peers they felt were a risk to their safety.
• Following the awareness around the effects of drug misuse, yp has stated that they now know what risks to recognise regarding physical/mental signs of drug use and how to ask for support if they are concerned for somebody who is misusing drugs.

 “I am made up to have learned about all of this, other people who have come in to speak to me in the past don’t seem to want to tell me these things but you have told me in a way that is educational and interesting – it has made me feel like I can look after myself better knowing there are places like Positive Futures to support me if I need it”.

Young person

• YP has developed the ability to strengthen relationship with parents due to exploring how participation in ASB may have had an effect on relationship with their family.
• When asked if YP feels the intervention has helped, they answered “yes I think it has been alright, I would do it again”.
• YP has made great progress from the first session to the last; they have made the effort to distance themselves from their friendship group they were close to, and although they had bumped into them a couple of times since distancing, yp had avoided getting back involved with the group.
• YP has reported that they are not interested in experiencing drugs, especially now since learning of all the implications attached to drug misuse. YP has also stated that they have previously had some awareness sessions on joint enterprise, though now they understand the full extent of the consequences and will make a conscious effort to avoid any possibility of being involved in any criminal activity.