Children involved in the Youth Justice System and in alternate and specialist provision schools are more likely to continue with their education after the age of 16 if they receive pro-educational messaging and encouragement from their immediate networks, suggests a study carried out by Leeds Trinity University academics. 

The research, published in the Youth Justice Journal, was overseen by Andi Brierley, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Investigation and Policing, Danielle McDermott, Professor of Custodial Practice, and Alison Bruell, a graduate from Leeds Trinity’s Forensic Psychology degree. Alison secured the opportunity through the University’s student Co-Creation panel, which facilitates student and academic collaboration on research projects. 

The research focused on and examined the perspectives of children with experience of the Youth Justice System regarding the obstacles and any barriers to accessing higher education. A group of young people aged 14 to 16 from Springwell Leeds Academy South, which provides education to students with social, emotional and mental health needs, were interviewed revealing factors including a lack of sense of belonging with education, individual perceptions of the ‘type’ of person who attends university, and disadvantaged social circumstances create barriers to their progression to further and higher education. 

Despite some students involved in the study admitting they do not believe they fit the profile of a ‘typical’ university-goer, they also highlighted that receiving positive encouragement regarding the value of higher education from direct influences such as parents and teachers, would make them more likely to continue learning after secondary school. This illustrates the importance of higher education institutions and organisations focusing on the microsystems (the people, groups and institutions that play an immediate role in a child's life) and mesosystems (a combination of two or more microsystems) surrounding school pupils to help create pro-educational identities and raise attainment levels in those from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Andi Brierley, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Investigation and Policing at Leeds Trinity University, has an extensive 15-year career in Youth Justice and uses his lived experience of the prison system to help shape and inform UK prison policy and practice. He said: “As a research team, we struggled to find the perspectives of justice-involved young people on what they felt the barriers between them and higher education are. We wanted to ensure that their voices and lived experiences were heard as, to find social solutions, we must reach out to those closest to the challenges. 

“The results of this two-year research project will support the ongoing work I am doing with my colleague Ruth Squire, Impact and Evaluation Manager in the Office for Institutional Equity at Leeds Trinity University, to change the listed personal characteristic of ‘ex-prisoner’ on the Office for Student’s Equality of Opportunity Risk Register. We hope the change includes the use of a more inclusive term such as ‘justice-involved people’. If successful, this will make a difference to children currently missing out on widening participation provision due to the current terminology.”  

Alison Bruell, Co-Creation Student Panel Member at Leeds Trinity University, said: “I jumped at the chance to work with Andi Brierley and Dr Danielle McDermott, both of whom positively influenced me during my degree, as it was a great opportunity to engage in research about justice-involved children. This is also an area I would like to pursue further in my career. Collaboratively working on a project that has now been published and could contribute towards improving inclusivity and opportunity in education has been rewarding and has filled me with great pride.” 

More information about the research project and the results is available online.