First time entrants to the youth justice systemTools Smith, Hannah Elizabeth (2025) First time entrants to the youth justice system. DForenPsy thesis, University of Nottingham.
AbstractThis thesis provides an in-depth exploration related to First Time Entrants (FTEs) to the youth justice system. The thesis is driven by a research need in Nottingham City in particular, where the rates of FTEs are consistently the highest in England and Wales. A range of approaches are used to explore this issue, including a systematic review and both quantitative and qualitative primary research. Chapter one provides an introduction to the thesis and its key concepts, outlining the need for research in this area. Next, chapter two presents a systematic review of international literature related to the use of diversion measures, intended to keep children who have offended for the first time away from formal youth justice processes. It considers their effectiveness with respect to reducing reoffending and provides recommendations for practice. Chapter three then presents qualitative research exploring FTEs’ journeys prior to engaging in offending behaviour, to consider whether more could have been done to prevent them from entering the youth justice system in Nottingham. Interviews were conducted with children, their guardians and youth justice case managers and data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Following this, chapter four presents a quantitative analysis of data from 1,099 FTEs in Nottingham between 2016-2022. This provides insight into both the characteristics of FTEs and the factors associated with continued offending in this cohort. Data for this study were extracted from AssetPlus, the assessment tool most commonly used within the youth justice system. AssetPlus is critically evaluated in chapter five, considering its psychometric properties, alignment with current theory and practical utility. Finally, a discussion of the key findings of the thesis and implications for practice are provided in chapter six.
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