Nursery World - Psychologist urged for young offenders

The early intervention of multi-agencies involving a range of professionals can guide young people away from a life of crime, according to researchers who have just presented their findings to the British Psychological Society's education conference in Paris. Dr Liz Malcolm, an educational psychologist, was commissioned by Chris Walker, principal psychologist with Luton Education Service, to undertake research to bolster the argument for an educational psychologist to work within the youth offending service. The researchers looked at the early school and life experiences of young people in the Luton area to see if certain factors and conditions predisposed them to crime and then considered what could be done to prevent this happening.

Dr Liz Malcolm, an educational psychologist, was commissioned by Chris Walker, principal psychologist with Luton Education Service, to undertake research to bolster the argument for an educational psychologist to work within the youth offending service. The researchers looked at the early school and life experiences of young people in the Luton area to see if certain factors and conditions predisposed them to crime and then considered what could be done to prevent this happening.

Ms Walker said, 'We found that parents often raised questions about managing their children at the age of four or five, but schools told them they were "fine". Slowly people would realise that something was wrong with a child, but by then parents had lost confidence in the system.

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