Trial and Error Children and young people in trouble with the law

This report looks at what charities are doing to tackle the problem of offending by children and young people. It helps funders make informed decisions about giving and provides charities with a context for thinking about their work.

It discusses the scale of the problem, outlines the role of the government and charities, and explores how funders and charities can have the greatest impact.
NPC began to research this area in March 2009. 30 experts were interviewed, over 100 charities reviewed, and received feedback on a draft of this report from seven consultative readers. It looks at the offending of children and young people aged 10 to 25. However, the
focus is overwhelmingly on those aged 10 to 17, the age group that is dealt with by the youth justice system.
The structure of this report
Chapter 1 describes the level and nature of youth offending in England and Wales. It
discusses some of the causes and costs of crime, and public perceptions surrounding
it. This will help funders and charities to understand the main needs of young people in
the criminal justice system, which groups are particularly vulnerable, and why intervening in this area is important.
Chapter 2 looks at the criminal justice system and how the government is attempting to
tackle offending. It sets out the complicated journey that young people in the system face,
and explains the structure of funding and decision-making in the system. By explaining
the complexities of the environment in which charities must operate, this chapter asks what
gaps charities must fill, and what they have to campaign about.
Chapter 3 examines the evidence for what works in tackling youth offending, and looks
at what makes a successful project. It helps funders decide which approaches are most
effective and where they should focus their support. It also highlights where there are
gaps in the evidence, and where funders and charities can help by contributing to the
research into what works.
Chapter 4 shows what charities are doing and whether or not their efforts are effective.
It considers the role of charities, who is doing what, and how well different charities work together. This chapter contains many examples of charities that are tackling youth offending.
Chapter 5 presents the challenges facing the charitable sector and what could be done
to help solve them. This can help funders—including government—to think about the best
ways to support the sector. It also suggests solutions for charities, and areas where they
could collaborate to improve the situation.
Chapter 6 considers the different options for funders, and where their support can make the
most difference.