The mentoring solution to youth crime and violence

The mentoring solution to youth
crime and violence
Some projects rely solely on mentoring to achieve their goals, but others involve it as one of
several strands to their work. Alex Johnson reports on projects working to stop young people
getting involved in crime
Violence and gang culture is one of
those social problems affecting
youngsters of all race, age and sex
and is found in inner cities as well as
more rural areas. For several years,
projects across the country have
used mentoring as one vital
ingredient in a menu designed to
help young people avoid falling into
patterns of persistent criminal
behaviour.
Earlier this year, the Guardian
reported on a proposed Government
initiative to persuade members of
the armed forces and police to act
Mentees from the Hampton Trust with their certificates of achievement
as positive role models and mentors
to help stop gang violence.
programme using black role models
The Hampton Trust in Southampton
Separately, the REACH report –
to help young black men and boys to
is helping to overcome youth crime.
published in August – recommended
raise their aspirations, attainment
It was set up specifically to deal with
the introduction of a national
and achievement levels. MBF
an unmet need to support young
welcomed the report, particularly the
people at risk of offending and those
emphasis on peer mentoring,
who had already offended. The APS-
although it urged that good practice,
approved project has taken a wide
proper funding and high standards
view from the start, looking at areas
were key to successfully
such as accommodation,
implementing its recommendations.
employment and leisure, and directly
addresses offending behaviour.
“We encourage
young people to
Its Interact-ED project on the Isle of
Wight successfully uses group
develop skills in
sessions and personal mentoring to
areas they are
reduce youth crime among 12- to 17-
year-olds. “I’m absolutely a firm
interested in to build
believer in mentoring,” says Interact-
confidence and take
ED’s programme manager Karen
REACH report: recommended a
their minds off the
Jordan. “Mentoring seemed to go out
of fashion a few years ago and was
national programme to help young
black men to raise their aspirations
issues”
seen as too expensive with not
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enough hard outcomes, so we’ve
Brixton, London to support young
changed our programme towards
people to move away from their
group work with great results.
criminal lifestyle.
“We encourage young people to get
“My opinion about the significance of
out and do what they want to do;
mentoring is that it remains
developing skills in areas they are
underestimated,” says Ann. “A lot of
interested in, such as football. It
the work we do here is rooted in
builds confidence in a different way
rapport building and one-to-one
by taking their minds off the issues
mentoring.
rather than concentrating on them.”
She adds that a mentor often makes
“Mentoring is always beneficial in
a big impact on the mentees simply
attaining both soft and hard
by giving up their time without
outcomes. Mentors need to commit
payment.
sustained amounts of time, energy
and focus on a young person’s
“Mentoring is practical and emotionally
“Once a young person trusts a
needs and development,” she adds.
supportive”
mentor they respect the opinions,
“Social development will take years.
available to them. Research
values, challenges and guidance
But short-term goals or
certainly backs up this approach.
that the individual represents,”
breakthroughs, in difficult
agrees Ann Stockreiter, who co-
circumstances, can be achievable.”
ordinates the South Central Youth –
“Having a respected
Back from the Frontline project,
Indeed, Back from the Frontline
adult to turn to would
which targets 12- to 21-year-olds
actively encourages former gang
involved in gang subculture and
members to train as youth workers,
have been helpful in
criminal lifestyles. A key part of her
go out into the community and show
preventing them
team’s work involves peer mentors
young people that they have
working in gang-dominated areas in
different options and choices
from offending”
Case study: JB at The Hampton Trust
JB was referred to The Hampton Trust after being extremely unhappy at home, where there had been reports of
violence. He is a strong willed young person who constantly seeks attention whether it is negative or positive. The
trust matched him with a mentor and within three weeks the relationship was going extremely well. Together they
made lots of goals and progress about how JB was feeling. His schoolwork improved and home life became more
stable, more often.
As the match had been in place for some time, it was brought to an end when his mentor needed to undertake
some college work. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards JB ran away from home following a family argument. “We
were able to offer some more practical support to his mother and JB and we continue to do so,” says Karen Jordan
at the trust.
“Even when a young person has finished the mentoring process, we try to maintain contact for a while afterwards
so they can maintain their newfound skills. We were able to attend social services planning meetings, liaise with
social workers, attend family group conferences and we will continue to do so for as long as it is needed.”
Although JB is not back at home, he is settled and his schoolwork is improving. His parents told the trust that this
positive outcome was a direct result of the mentoring scheme because it was able to help at a time when no other
agency was available.
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to 19-year-olds who have been
excluded from school to end their
involvement or prevent them
becoming involved with gangs, drugs
and violence. So, while they spend
several hours a day working towards
core GCSEs and A-Levels, plus
evening sessions, residential
courses and summer programmes,
there is also an established peer-
mentoring element to their work.
In Rochdale, John Greenbank is
happy with his charity’s successes,
which include one mentor and
mentee pairing who signed up to
attend a joinery course together.
Rochdale Connections Trust: helping to decorate a nursing home for Halloween
Earlier this year, a Youth Justice
excluded from school – and
“We’ve seen crime
Board report – Groups, gangs and
consequently society in general –
figures among young
weapons – examined the question of
and with nowhere to turn for
people on our
gang and weapon offending. It noted
support.
that the young men involved said
scheme fall by 64
that having a respected adult to turn
“We do some group work, which can
per cent”
to would have helped to prevent
be useful, but one-to-one mentoring
them from offending.
is really important,” he says. “All our
“We’ve seen crime figures among
mentors are volunteers who are
young people on our scheme fall by
“Counselling has its place, but
flexible about when they work. This
64 per cent, truancy rates drop by
mentoring is the bedrock of our
is helpful because the mentees are
over 90 per cent and many school
organisation,” says John Greenbank,
genuinely quite surprised that an
leavers successfully applying for
project manager at Rochdale
adult would give up their own free
further education,” he says.
Connections Trust. The charity
time to help them. It sends out an
provides mentors for young people
important message.”
“These hard outcomes are great, but
aged 11 to 19 who are experiencing
the soft ones are also important.
problems with family, drug abuse
Mentoring is not everybody’s
and those at risk of becoming
bedrock, but it can still provide
Without self-confidence and the
involved in gun and knife crime.
essential elements within a more
ability to relate, finding training and
varied project. The Southwark-
doing well at job interviews is very
Along similar lines to the Hampton
based, From Boyhood to Manhood
hard,” he adds. “Mentoring is not
Trust, the charity was set up by
Foundation uses mentoring within its
only practical for these young
Youth Magistrates who wanted to
day programme of education and
people, but also emotionally
provide support for young people
development. It works with black 11-
supportive.”
Project contacts:
The Hampton Trust (Interact-ED) Tel: 02380 213 520 Email: info@hamptontrust.org.uk
Rochdale Connections Trust Tel: 01706 345 111 Website: www.r-c-t.co.uk
South Central Youth (Back from the Frontline) Email: scyouth@hotmail.co.uk
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Winter 2007

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