Treatment for substance use problems among young offenders: difficulties and dilemmas for implementation and evaluation in the UK

Richard Hammersley, Marie Reid, John Minkes

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

    Abstract

    Youth offending is assumed in part to be caused by substance use problems, consequently policy and practice in youth justice emphasise their treatment. We review four types of difficulty for substance use treatment of the under-18s and of youth offending team clients, then consider what might work. (1) Working with children raises systemic and ethical issues that complicate intervention and evaluation. (2) Assessing or diagnosing substance use problems in this age group is inherently problematic and often neglects the systemic aspects of pathways to treatment. Ineffective treatment may seem effective because change has occurred naturally with time. (3) Defining realistic and acceptable long-term outcomes for substance use in this age group is problematic.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalEducational and Child Psychology
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2006

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    Age Groups
    Social Justice
    Therapeutics
    Ethics

    Keywords

    • young offenders
    • substance use
    • addiction

    Cite this

    Hammersley, Richard ; Reid, Marie ; Minkes, John. / Treatment for substance use problems among young offenders: difficulties and dilemmas for implementation and evaluation in the UK. In: Educational and Child Psychology. 2006.
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    title = "Treatment for substance use problems among young offenders: difficulties and dilemmas for implementation and evaluation in the UK",
    abstract = "Youth offending is assumed in part to be caused by substance use problems, consequently policy and practice in youth justice emphasise their treatment. We review four types of difficulty for substance use treatment of the under-18s and of youth offending team clients, then consider what might work. (1) Working with children raises systemic and ethical issues that complicate intervention and evaluation. (2) Assessing or diagnosing substance use problems in this age group is inherently problematic and often neglects the systemic aspects of pathways to treatment. Ineffective treatment may seem effective because change has occurred naturally with time. (3) Defining realistic and acceptable long-term outcomes for substance use in this age group is problematic.",
    keywords = "young offenders, substance use, addiction",
    author = "Richard Hammersley and Marie Reid and John Minkes",
    note = "Originally published in: Educational and Child Psychology (2006), 23 (2), pp.41-53.",
    year = "2006",
    month = "6",
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    Hammersley, R, Reid, M & Minkes, J 2006, 'Treatment for substance use problems among young offenders: difficulties and dilemmas for implementation and evaluation in the UK', Educational and Child Psychology.

    Treatment for substance use problems among young offenders: difficulties and dilemmas for implementation and evaluation in the UK. / Hammersley, Richard; Reid, Marie; Minkes, John.

    In: Educational and Child Psychology, 01.06.2006.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

    TY - JOUR

    T1 - Treatment for substance use problems among young offenders: difficulties and dilemmas for implementation and evaluation in the UK

    AU - Hammersley, Richard

    AU - Reid, Marie

    AU - Minkes, John

    N1 - Originally published in: Educational and Child Psychology (2006), 23 (2), pp.41-53.

    PY - 2006/6/1

    Y1 - 2006/6/1

    N2 - Youth offending is assumed in part to be caused by substance use problems, consequently policy and practice in youth justice emphasise their treatment. We review four types of difficulty for substance use treatment of the under-18s and of youth offending team clients, then consider what might work. (1) Working with children raises systemic and ethical issues that complicate intervention and evaluation. (2) Assessing or diagnosing substance use problems in this age group is inherently problematic and often neglects the systemic aspects of pathways to treatment. Ineffective treatment may seem effective because change has occurred naturally with time. (3) Defining realistic and acceptable long-term outcomes for substance use in this age group is problematic.

    AB - Youth offending is assumed in part to be caused by substance use problems, consequently policy and practice in youth justice emphasise their treatment. We review four types of difficulty for substance use treatment of the under-18s and of youth offending team clients, then consider what might work. (1) Working with children raises systemic and ethical issues that complicate intervention and evaluation. (2) Assessing or diagnosing substance use problems in this age group is inherently problematic and often neglects the systemic aspects of pathways to treatment. Ineffective treatment may seem effective because change has occurred naturally with time. (3) Defining realistic and acceptable long-term outcomes for substance use in this age group is problematic.

    KW - young offenders

    KW - substance use

    KW - addiction

    M3 - Article

    JO - Educational and Child Psychology

    JF - Educational and Child Psychology

    SN - 0267-1611

    ER -

    Hammersley R, Reid M, Minkes J. Treatment for substance use problems among young offenders: difficulties and dilemmas for implementation and evaluation in the UK. Educational and Child Psychology. 2006 Jun 1.

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