Abstract
Young people in the criminal justice system experience significant health and wellbeing issues that often stem from poverty and disadvantage and, in turn, are linked with offending and reoffending behaviour. There is ongoing interest in interventions such as participatory music programmes that seek to foster social reintegration, support mental wellbeing and equip young offenders with life skills, competencies and emotional resilience. However, there is a need for a situated understanding of both positive and negative experiences that shape potential outcomes of music projects. This article reports on a research study undertaken between 2010 and 2013 with 118 young people aged 13-21years across eight youth justice settings in England and Wales. Using mixed methods we explored the experiences of young people and their responses to a participatory music programme led by a national UK arts charity. Here, we explore the impact of young people's encounters with music and musicians with reference to the notion of 'musical affordances' (DeNora , ). We examine the ways that such affordances, including unintended outcomes, are mediated by features of the youth justice environment, including its rules and regulations, as well as issues of power, identity and social relations.
Highlights
The age of criminal responsibility for England and Wales, where this study took place, is 10 years
Music has been used in justice settings for many years, and while some programmes have been subject to limited evaluation, there is a dearth of research that has examined these interventions in depth (Daykin et al 2013, Miles 2004)
Qualitative findings: mediated affordances The qualitative data provide a rich description of young people’s responses to the music programme and the challenges and dilemmas that can arise when working with young people in criminal justice contexts
Summary
The age of criminal responsibility for England and Wales, where this study took place, is 10 years. Poor housing, living in socioeconomically deprived urban areas, low educational attainment, poor parental supervision and unstable family contexts all represent risks and increase the likelihood that young people who enter the justice system experience complex health and social needs (Chitsabesan et al 2006, Farrington and Welsh 2006). Their experiences of education are often poor, with high levels of truancy and exclusion (Bradley 2009, YJB 2005). Research is often hampered by institutional challenges including security and risk management protocols that engender complex negotiation with gatekeepers (Miles and Clarke 2006)
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