Hannah Smithson

Gang Member: Who Says? Definitional and Structural Issues

Owing to a number of high-profile shootings in the UK over the past decade, there has been a significant amount of media and political interest in youth gangs. This chapter reports on a study conducted in 2009 in a large city in the North of England. It discusses the structure and formation of gangs in this city from the view of the young people identified as gang members and those responsible for this identification, i.e., police officers. Findings demonstrated that few of the young people viewed themselves as belonging to a gang; indeed, many were scathing of such an attribution, contesting its applicability. A more accurate description of these young people is of a rather loose and fluid, interlinked but informal social network of friends and associates. There was evidence that the authorities’ labeling of some young people as gang members and adoption and use of gang names attributed coherence and identity to what was often only fluid and transitional youth group formations. This may have created the very circumstances it sought to challenge.

“We've got to be tough, we've got to be robust, we've got to score a clear line between right and wrong right through the heart of this country”: can and should the post‐riot populist rhetoric be translated into reality?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically appraise how the coalition government intends to respond to the riots and disorder that took place in England in 2011, with particular reference to conduct regulation legislation and policy.Design/methodology/approach – Coalition government policies announced post‐riots have been reflected upon and considered alongside flagship policies from the previous New Labour government (1997‐2010), as well as coalition policies introduced when they came to power in May, 2010.Findings – Coalition policy post‐riots appears to have shifted from a localism agenda, to be replaced by a default reliance upon conduct regulation directed by central government. Furthermore, a number of these rhetoric laden policies are perceived to lack the focus and detail required to provide an effective policy response.Originality/value – Post‐riot policy announcements are placed in the wider criminal justice context, highlighting some of the practical issues that may require considerat...

Youth in the UK: 99 problems but the gang ain ' t one?

Purpose – At a time when youth gangs and gang policy feature significantly in the discourse on UK youth, it is judicious to critique the framework and evidence upon which these policy developments have originated. The political focus on gangs was heightened, in part, by the English riots in 2011. The reaction to the riots was a “concerted all-out war on gangs” and led to the development of the national Ending Gangs and Youth Violence (EGYV) strategy. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use Manchester as a case study to illustrate what the they argue to be the misplaced focus of the current EGYV strategy and provide a detailed critique of the strategy to date. Findings – The paper suggests that government funded gang interventions are currently bereft of a “what works” approach and should only be implemented when the authors have significantly developed the knowledge and understanding of gangs in a local context. Originality/value – The paper calls for a strong...

The prevalence of youth racially motivated offending: What do we really know?

This article reports on research conducted for the Youth Justice Board (YJB) which sought to establish the prevalence of racially motivated offending (RMO) amongst young people and the level of provision for such offenders. The article examines trends in youth RMO over the period 2002-2007 and explores the characteristics of offenders, geographical trends of RMO and sanctioning outcomes. Analysis demonstrates that of those young people referred to youth offending service (YOS) teams for RMO, the vast majority were male and white. There was a noticeable ‘North-South’ split in RMO, with levels in the North generally higher than in the South and sanctions for racially motivated offences were more severe than for offences generally. The paper calls for further investigation into the legislation and practice around youth RMO.

Current responses to youth racially motivated offending

This article presents the findings from a study for the Youth Justice Board (YJB) to identify the prevalence of racially motivated offending (RMO) amongst young people and Youth Justice System responses to it. The article focuses on programmes for RMO and presents the findings of a survey of Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) and secure establishments to establish the extent of provision for RMO, along with interviews with practitioners and young people. The findings demonstrate the majority of provision is multifaceted but also ad hoc and does not address the evidence on the causes of RMO. The multiplicity of causes needs to be reflected in the interventions designed to tackle it.

‘There’s Not Going to Be a Single Solution’: The Role of Resettlement Consortia in Improving the Resettlement Outcomes of Young People Leaving Custody:

As part of the government’s Transforming Youth Custody programme, in 2014 the Youth Justice Board (YJB) established four new resettlement consortia in four areas in England. This article presents the findings from a process evaluation of the new consortia, paying particular attention to the enablers and/or barriers that affected the implementation of an enhanced resettlement offer. We found that the consortia did appear to improve partnership working and collaboration between key agencies. Yet the delivery of an enhanced offer was often hampered by the geographically dispersed nature of the consortia, along with problems accessing suitable accommodation upon release.

‘Society does treat me differently and that is a shame’: understandings and feelings of Britishness amongst visibly observant young Muslims

ABSTRACT There has been increasing media and political questioning of the national loyalties and identities held by young British Muslims, with a particular focus on those seen to separate themselves through strict and religiously observant dress and lifestyles. This paper draws primarily on research focusing on the meanings of ‘Britishness’ held amongst a group of visibly observant young Muslim adults. Empirical evidence is provided to demonstrate that although these young adults demonstrated an explicit and visible sense of Muslim identity, this co-existed without any conscious conflict with their British identity. The young adults’ acknowledgement of their religious attachment developed from a positive and proactive identification with Islam rather than one in opposition or rebellion against a British identity. Therefore, in a wider context, their lives must not be analysed only through the lens of religion, dress and appearance as this has repercussions in relation to national policy formation and subsequent perceptions of wider society.

What role for street crime wardens

This paper presents the findings of an evaluation of a street crime warden scheme in a city in the north west of England. It specifically focuses on the aims of the warden scheme and provides a detailed overview of the role of the wardens. The scheme is examined with regard to the threat from police community support officers (PCSOs), public perceptions and the overall financial sustainability of the scheme.