trauma experiences in the backgrounds of violent young offenders - gywneth boswell

Trauma experiences in the backgrounds of violent young offenders

Professor Gwyneth Boswell

Boswell Research Fellows & School of

Rehabilitation Sciences, UEA, Norwich

April 12, 2023 [email protected]

The identification of trauma experiences in their backgrounds has become a key feature. But a wider background to the research needs to be invoked for developing understanding in:

Professional contexts

Societal contexts

Global contexts

The central question of my research over 22 years has been ‘Why do young people become violent?’


Violence & murder by children & young people

Became high profile in the UK in early 1990s following the murder of 2-year old James Bulger by two 10-year old boys.

Memorable blurred video image of child being led away by his killers.

Little attempt made to understand the boys’ behaviour – they were labelled ‘evil’.

Punishment and retribution rather than child welfare were the models of justice applied.

The trial Judge carried into the courtroom the artefacts of the death penalty.

The boys were sentenced to a minimum tariff of 15 years (later reduced to 8 by European Court) longer than they had yet lived.


Other cases of murder by children and young people around the world

US – the Colorado school killings by two 11-year olds.

South Africa – the brutal killing and gang-rape of a 14 year-old girl by a 15-year old boy and four adults.

Recent case of gang-rape and murder of a 23-year old woman on a bus in India by a 17-year old boy and 5 adults.

All caused public outcry and in South Africa a petition for the return of the death penalty, abolished by Nelson Mandela’s Government at the end of Apartheid. In India the adults did receive the death penalty.

In Rwanda, children and young people were imprisoned for genocide crimes; they and the communities to which they would return remained traumatized and fearful.


Child abuse – consistent impact via public inquiry, and a ‘no-win’ situation for professionals. A highly emotive issue which touches us all.

Primacy of violence demonstrated across the world in military/religious architecture, statues, art, music, press/TV coverage of more than 300 wars since WWII.

Violence also enshrined in some justice systems – torture and capital punishment.

Victims of child labour & prostitution are treated violently across both the underdeveloped and developed worlds (Save the Children, 2007)

Physical violence in families frequently seen as normal (Gelles & Strauss, 1988) – at turn of Millennium, UK government chose not to make smacking illegal

These images produce confusing models for young people moving through developmental stages.

Other powerful media projections of violence perpetrated upon children


Two studies for the Prince’s Trust

Initial study into needs and experiences of 25 section 53 (1) & (2) offenders (C&YP Act 1933, now sec. 90 & 91, Powers of the Criminal Courts [Sentencing] Act 2000. Suggested high prevalence of abuse and traumatic loss in young offenders’ lives. Second study sought to establish a reliable figure for this. (Boswell 1996)

Method of 2nd study was to examine 200 centrally-held files, to note down professionally-confirmed evidence of child abuse & loss and, where this was partial or ambiguous, to interview the young people themselves.

72% had experienced abuse – emotional 28.5%; sexual 29%; organized/ritual 1.5%; combinations 27%

57% had experienced significant loss via bereavement or cessation of contact, usually with a parent


Further abuse & loss findings

In only 18 out of 200 cases studied were there no reported evidences of abuse and/or loss. In other words, the total number of Section 53 offenders who had experienced one or both phenomena was 91%.

The total number who had experienced both abuse and loss was 35%, suggesting that the presence of a double childhood trauma may be a potent factor in the lives of violent young offenders.

Unresolved trauma is likely to manifest itself in some way at a later date.

Many children become depressed, disturbed, violent or all three, girls tending to internalize and boys to externalize their responses (American Psychiatric Association 2013)


Their cases highlight early abuse and loss which had not come to light before they committed violent offences.

It is not suggested that child abuse and loss are the only potential causes of violent offending or that every abused child becomes an offender

But abuse and loss are sufficiently prevalent for the questions always to be asked.

Research evidence backs this up (Smith & McVie 2003; Lösel & Bender, 2006)

Case studies of Darren and George


Largely positive findings but used test for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD-1, ) for the first time in YOI researchTest asks whether respondent has experienced an unusual, extremely distressing event. Affirmative answers trigger more detailed questions around 4 further criteria:

Is the traumatic event persistently re-experienced?

Does the person persistently avoid associated stimuli or experience numbing of general responsiveness?

Are there persistent symptoms of increased arousal?

Have symptoms persisted for 28 days before diagnosis?

Evaluation of an enhanced YOI unit for the Youth Justice Board (Boswell, Wedge & Price, 2003)


Of 21 young men interviewed twice with an average gap of 9 months, one fifth (4) scored +tive for current PTSD at 1st interview but only 2 by time of 2nd interview. They cited bullying, military conflict, terrifying dreams and, for one, the violent offence he himself had committed.

Three scored +tive for ‘lifetime’ (previous) PTSD.

If 6 others had scored higher on one indicator, they would have reached diagnosis for current or lifetime PTSD.

Several of those not found to have PTSD nevertheless cited bullying, violent racism & witnessing death as significant problems in their lives.

PTSD findings from Enhanced YOI Unit study

The usefulness of PTSD testing

Case studies of Ben & Jennifer suggest that testing would have helped them progress in their custodial careers, but the cases also suggest that if the trauma had been recognised at a much earlier age, they, like Darren and George, would probably not have ended up serving many years in custody.

Where PTSD is not found, or indeed where young people experiencing trauma have not offended, it may be that one or both of the main protective factors have promoted resilience in the young person. These are education; and being listened to, believed, and helped by a responsible adult person.


So what are the ways forward?

We have said these things many times but they always bear repeating:1.The age of criminal responsibility should be raised to 14 in line with most other European countries2.The UN Riyadh guidelines state that custody should be a last resort for young people3.Professionals need to be equipped with a firm knowledge base about trauma and how to recognise it4.Young people who have been abused need communities which support them by making it more acceptable for them to report abuse and other trauma5.There is a need for full integration of research programmes into policy formation & effective application in the CJS.


Conclusion

Research-mindedness can help professionals to represent not only their own views but those of the public, victims and their families, and the youthful perpetrators themselves, moving society towards a greater sense of collective responsibility in the process

Our responses to young offenders can in this way become more proactive, confident and accurate within the very complex child welfare/youth justice arena, highlighting that:

The victim and the offender are frequently located in one single damaged young person.


Professor Gwyneth Boswell

Boswell Research Fellows

&

School of Rehabilitation Sciences,

University of East Anglia,

Norwich NR4 7TJ

Email: [email protected]


References

American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) 4th edition. Washington D.C: American Psychiatric Association American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) 5th edition. Washington D.C: American Psychiatric Association Boswell, G.R. Waiting for Change: An exploration of the experiences and needs of Section 53 offenders. London: The Prince’s Trust. Boswell, G. R. (1995) Violent Victims. London: The Prince’s Trust.

Boswell, G. R. (1996) Young and Dangerous: the Backgrounds and Careers of Section 53 Offenders. Aldershot: Avebury

Boswell, G.R. (2000) Violent Children and Adolescents : Asking the Question Why. London: Philadelphia: Whurr Publishers.


References (cont.)

Boswell, G.R., Wedge, P. & Price, A. (2003) An Evaluation of Regimes for Section 90/91 Offenders at HM Young Offender Institutions Feltham, and Carlford Unit, Warren Hill. A Report to the Youth Justice Board. Elliott, C. M. (1988) Signs of Our Times. Basingstoke: Marshall Pickering.

Gelles, R. J. & Strauss, M. A. (1988) Intimate Violence. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Home Office, Department of Health, Department of Education and Science, Welsh Office (1991) Working Together under the Children Act 1989. A guide to arrangements for inter-agency co-operation for the protection of children from abuse. London: HMSO.

James Smith , D. (1994) The Sleep of Reason: the James Bulger case. London: Century. Morrison, B. (1997) As If. London: Granta Books.


References (cont.)

Save the Children (2007) The Small Hands of Slavery. London: Save the Children Smith, D. & McVie, S. (2003) Theory and Method in the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, British Journal of Criminology 43(1):169 -195. United Nations (1990) Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh Guidelines). New York: Department of Public Information. United Nations General Assembly (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child. New York: United Nations. Wedge, P., Boswell, G., Dissel, A. (2000) Violent Victims in South Africa: key factors in the backgrounds of young, serious offenders. Acta Criminologica 13 (1) and 13 (2).


References (cont.)

Widom, C. & White, H. (1997) Problem behaviour in abused and neglected children grown up: prevalence and co-occurrence of substance abuse, crime and violence. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health 7: 287-310. Young, J.E. (1990) Cognitive therapy for personality disorders: a schema-focused approach. Sarasota, F.L: Professional Resource Exchange. Yule, W. (1993) Children as victims and survivors. In P. J. Taylor (Ed.) Violence in Society. London: Royal College of Physicians. Zwane, W. (2000) Understanding Children and Youth: pathways to a violent lifestyle - the South African case. Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.

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trauma experiences in the backgrounds of violent young offenders - gywneth boswell

Health & Medicine

evidence of child abuse

abuse loss findings

early abuse

traumatic loss

experienced abuse emotional

young offenders lives

year old boys

significant loss