Viewing Volume 8 Issue 4 Winter 2005
JUST BRIEFS:- A briefing paper from the Youth Justice Trust.
Grief, Loss and Developing Resilience.
Introduction.
The link between grief, loss and abuse in relation to crimes of violence was graphically illustrated by Dr. Gwyneth Boswell on behalf of the Prince’s Trust in the 1990’s. She found that of 200 children and young people sentenced to prison for ‘serious and grave crimes’, over 90% had significant issues of grief, loss or abuse.
Research Evidence.
The young people’s adverse experiences of the turmoil and unhappiness that often characterised their family relationships had effects on their values, attitudes, personalities and social skills. High drug and alcohol use was noted, but this had only been previously recorded in 50% of the young people referred.
Loss, Rejection and Crime in Greater Manchester.
The survey examined the children and young people known to the Youth Offending Teams of Rochdale, Salford and Stockport. Findings were compared with Kirklees YOT in West Yorkshire to find out whether the issues raised were specific to Manchester. The findings were significantly similar. In al a total of 1,027 children and young people were on the books of the YOT’s for planned and supervised work under court order. Of the 1,027 files, 147 were sampled at random and read to check against a range of questions. In connection with loss and rejection, the categories considered were:
Death of a parent or significant adult.
Family separation where at least one parent is no longer in contact.
Outright rejection of the child by parents including neglect.
Continual change of residence.
Loss of a parent due to physical or mental health.
Of the sample of 147 cases considered, in 46% of cases there were at least two of these factors present, and in 92% of cases there were more than one or more forms of loss or rejection.
Findings from Health Research.
Health workers in Tameside and Salford YOT have both noted high levels of bereavement and loss amongst young people known to the YOT, Salford’s health worker noted: ‘none of the young people seen had been offered bereavement counselling or access to other professionals who may be able to help them cope with their distress…..several of the young people seen showed signs of maladaptive behaviour associated with their grief that impacted upon their offending’.
In the Salford study, 20% of the young people had suffered a bereavement; in the Tameside study this was 41%.
In a research study carried out by the Trust for the YOT’s and CAMHS of the north west, over half the young people known to YOT’s were in ‘considerable distress’, with high levels of families under stress and receiving treatment for depression.
Emotional Resilience.
The concept of resilience in young people is one that has been receiving increasing attention in recent years. Resilience is defined as the capacity which allows a person, group or community to prevent, minimise or overcome the damaging
effects of adversity.
Drug and Substance Misuse and Street Crime.
The Salford study to examine the nature and extent of links between street crime and drug misuse in Greater Manchester notes that a common characteristic of people who eventually use hard drugs was that they had been overwhelmed by a series of ‘dire circumstances’ in their lives, such as being placed in care; experiencing sexual abuse; bereavement; experiencing physical and mental abuse and homelessness. Taking drugs was a way of cutting out the emotions caused by these events.
Conclusion.
Statistically the correlations between grief, loss and abuse and crime are stark:
At least nine out of ten children and young people who commit the most grave and serious crimes have significant issues around loss and abuse. (Boswell, Prince’s Trust 1996).
Of young people who persistently offend, at least nine out of ten have significant experience of grief, loss and abuse. (Freagarrach, 2000).
Of children and young people supervised by YOT’s of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, at least nine out of ten have significant experience of loss and rejection, (Youth Justice Trust 2003).
In practice, the knowing of these factors is not straightforward. It takes time and trust for people who have experienced life crises to talk about them. In dealing with these issues in relation to the prevention of offending they sit ‘as a legacy of anger, hostility, resentment and aggression, powerful emotions that had to be acknowledged if young people were to be successfully engaged in working towards change’ (Freagarrach 2000).
Clearly in relation to many of these experiences, the death of a parent or the loss of a parent due to mental illness for instance, it may be difficult to ameliorate or reduce risk. What can be achieved however, is to look afresh at how children and young people cope with such experiences, and to focus on the development of means of allowing them to move on in their lives.
By:(This is an abridged version of a 9 page report by Youth Justice Trust).
North West Child Bereavement Network.
1.00 pm for 1.30pm
At the Droylsden Office.
Thursday 9th February 2006
Thursday 11th May 2006
(bring lunch—drinks provided)
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Diary Dates
Members Meetings,
Thursday 9th February 2006
Thursday 11th May 2006 (AGM)
6.30pm for 7pm.
At the Droylsden Office.
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ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Thursday14th September 2006
‘Mind Matters’
at
Hough End Centre,
Mauldeth Road West
Chorlton – cum – Hardy
Manchester
Speakers for the day include:
Ted Bowman.
Dr. Marion Gibson.
Dr. Sue Read.
Gill Raynor.
Dorothy Piper.
Dr. David Trickey.
The Conference will be Chaired by:
Brenda Mallon (Vice Chair MABF)
Conference Price:
MABF Member 2005 £150
New Members 2006 £175
Non members £195
All delegates after 31st July £225
For information and booking please contact.
The Grief Centre –MABF
Tel: 0161-371-8860
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