CASE STUDY | Drugs, ASB and crime prevention

To reduce ASB in the local area as YP appears to be the instigator for most of the ASB in the area. Prevent YP from committing future and more serious crime.

The Intervention

The goals agreed were:

• YP would no longer be participating/instigating ASB in the community
• Intervention work agreed was sessions aimed to raise awareness of the dangers, risks, and consequences of ASB, knife crime, drug misuse and criminal behaviour.
• YP needed support and development of knowledge regarding the legal consequences of her actions.
• 7 face to face 1-2-1 sessions with YP exploring the dangers, risks and consequences of ASB, knife crime, criminal behaviour, CCE, joint enterprise and the impacts of drug misuse (investigating the various types of drugs) in ASB and drug misuse.
• The measurement tools used throughout this intervention were the mind star, risk and protective factors and goal-based outcomes.

Outcomes

• YP evaluated their behaviour towards others and recognised they need to change their attitude – particularly towards people in a position of authority (teachers, police).
• YP was successful with improving their negative behaviour towards police and massively decreased their involvement.
• YP achieved their goal of reducing ASB and understanding how their behaviour affects others.
• When intervention first started YP did not speak in sessions, though as we progressed YP started to engage brilliantly and even started asking for topics I could help them raise awareness on (such as laws of knife crime, consequences of drug misuse and legal consequences of gang violence).
• YP was granted a reduced timetable at school, and though still struggles to attend, they are making an effort to engage more in their education.
• YP was no longer involved in any ASB behaviour, and no further incidents were reported by the police regarding YP.

YP distanced themselves from negative peers, stopped frequenting areas they knew were prominent for ASB, knife crime and gang violence. YP felt the intervention helped and that Positive Futures were:

“better than any other service that has tried to help before. I feel that you understand me, you’re not here to tell me I am in trouble or make me feel rubbish, you actually help me understand what is right and wrong.”

Prior to ending the intervention, I ensured YP was ready to close and they had contact details of support services (including out of hours and crisis) they could reach out to should they need to. I also reminded them they could come back to Positive Futures should they need further support. YP was provided with information packs on what we had explored throughout our sessions – such as the effects and legal impacts of drugs, the consequences, and dangers of knife crime, ASB and CCE.