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Rhyme Reason and Risk. Dr Julie Withecomb Consultant Forensic Adolescent Psychiatrist. Young people in care and offending Interplay between care/parenting experiences, offending and mental health Genesis of very high risk behaviours What works?.
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Rhyme Reason and Risk Dr Julie Withecomb Consultant Forensic Adolescent Psychiatrist
Young people in care and offending • Interplay between care/parenting experiences, offending and mental health • Genesis of very high risk behaviours • What works?
Children & teenagers make up 25% of the total population in the UK. • Criminal activity peaks at 15-17 years for males and 13-15years for females. • Theft, car crimes and criminal damage account for over 90% of crime.
Harsh and inconsistent parenting • West and Farrington
23% of prison population and 30% of children in custody have spent time in care
Of children who have experienced care by 16 years, about one third will go to custody and two thirds will have a conviction by early 20’s
Frequent moves associated with higher risk of criminal behaviour
The prevalence of mental health problems in young people in custody around three times higher than general population (Hagell, 2002) • Bailey and Harrington (2004) - 31% of a YOT and incarcerated group had mental health needs: depression (18%); anxiety (10%); PTSD (9%); and hyperactivity (7%). 25% LD
Young people in care are up to 4 times more likely to drink, smoke and use drugs and likely to start earlier and use more heavily • Of 500 young people in the secure estate, 97% has used an illegal drug
Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth • Borum, R, Bartel, P and Forth, A
Domestic violence • Experience of abuse or neglect • Care giver criminality • Early care giver disruption • Poor parental management
Conduct Disorder is a persistent pattern of behaviour in which the rights of other are violated • most commonly occurring psychiatric disorder in 5- to 15-year-olds, (5% of young people in Meltzer’s (1999) study)
Conduct problems shown to predict later offending (Kratzer and Hodgins, 1997), with earlier onset and a wider range of antisocial behaviours increasing later risk.
Covert pathway -recidivist delinquency -acquisitive Overt pathway -violence and homicide Authority conflict -early onset, early Finish -victimless
Stable traits • Aggression • Callous unemotional disregard • Anxiety • Executive functioning and social skills
Callous unemotional disregard • Found in subset of those with conduct problems • Highly heritable • Expression influenced by social factors
As maltreatment increases • adolescent conduct disorder increases • and adult violence becomes more likely
Experience of early abuse and maltreatment leads to changes in neurotransmitters e.g MAOA • Changes in MAOA leads to changes in response of amygdala to aversive stimuli
Epidemiological studies of those who offend and are violent • R Loeber – Pittsburgh study
Neurocognitive studies • J Blair
Most mentally disordered offenders have multiple problems present since childhood
Offending associated in schizophrenic group with psychopathic traits • Poor parenting increases risk of violence in those with schizophrenia
Studies of mentally ill offenders • S Hodgins
Sexually harmful behaviour • Assessment, Intervention and Moving on (G-Map in Manchester)
Poorer outcome associated with: • Experience of trauma or neglect of any kind including exposure to domestic violence • Family dysfunction especially harsh discipline • Pattern of discontinuous care or poor attachment • Rejected by carers • Poor parental supervision
Better outcome associated with: • Consistent care history • Good communication in family
Firesetting Risk Interview • Kolko, D J & Kazdin, A E (1989) Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Recidivism not associated with more dysfunction in the family
Interventions • Home visit from fire-fighter • Fire safety education • Instruction and practice in safety skills • Cognitive behavioural therapy • Enhancing pro-social skills • Improving parent-child relationship
Abuse and neglect commonest reasons for being ‘looked after’
What works? • Pharmacotherapy • Emotional regulation; reward deferral; interpersonal skills training; cognitive behavioural approach • Attachment • Parenting programmes • Multi-systemic therapy • Specialist foster placements