‘It’s harder to go to court yourself because you don’t really know what to expect’: Reducing the negative effects of court exposure on young people – Findings from an Evaluation in Scotland

Abstract

In Scotland, the Whole System Approach to preventing and reducing offending includes the provision of court support for young people under 18 years. This article outlines the insights from an evaluation of one Scottish local authority’s support service. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 26 participants were combined with observation of interactions between support workers and young people, with some additional follow-up statistical analysis of key outcomes. The insights suggest that the court support helped to reassure young people and make them more aware of their rights. It helped many young people to avoid receiving custodial sentences, meet bail conditions, reflect upon their offending behaviour and begin to make alternative choices.