The engagement of young people in drug interventions in coercive contexts: findings from a cross-national European study

Abstract

Background

The engagement of young people has been a neglected area in youth justice and drug policy and practice. This paper explores the concept of ‘engagement’ in relation to drug interventions in custodial and community settings in different European countries.

Methods

Interviews were undertaken with young people (aged 14–25 years) in contact with the criminal justice system who use illegal drugs and with practitioners involved in the delivery of interventions for our target group in Denmark, Italy, Poland, and the UK.

Results

The key techniques to engage young people were described in similar terms across the countries. These included forming relationships based on trust, honesty, and empathy, setting goals collaboratively, and employing practitioners with lived experience and understanding. The objectives and activities on offer are often constrained by criminal justice contexts.

Conclusions

Despite the differences between the countries in terms of criminal justice systems and the structure of drug interventions, there were remarkable similarities in the ways young people and practitioners described effective engagement. Strong emphasis on operational engagement to ensure positive relationships between young people and practitioners was important in the design and delivery of interventions. Practitioners working in criminal justice contexts need to have flexibility and autonomy to work creatively to find ways to engage, connect, and inspire young people.

Keywords:

• Young people
• criminal justice system
• adolescents
• engagement
• drug involvement
• prevention
• practitioners
• European
• intervention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This paper is part of the project 768162 / EPPIC which has received funding from the European Union’s Health Programme (2014-2020). The content of this paper represents the views of the authors only and is their sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

2 Quotations from the young people are accompanied by a code indicating the country (IT – Italy, DK –Denmark, UK – UK, PL – Poland), the interview number, the setting (COM – community setting, SEC – secure/prison setting), gender (M/F) and their ages (no. of years). Quotations from Denmark are not accompanied by complete information due to anonymity issues.

3 Quotations from the practitioners are accompanied by a country code country (IT – Italy, DK –Denmark, UK – UK, PL – Poland), the interview number, and the background of the practitioner (CJ – criminal justice, SU – substance use, PSY – psychology, SW – social work). Quotations from Denmark are not accompanied by complete information regarding background of the practitioners due to anonymity issues.

4 In the UK sample, information about age, partner and children was missed for one interview. In addition, there were 9 young people who reported their ethnicity as Black British or Asian British or mixed race. Information about immigrant background was not directly asked.

Additional information

Funding

The present work was financially supported by European Commission (Health Programme 2014–2020).