Realising resilience in youth justice

The concept of resilience, while still evolving, offers the possibility of addressing the needs of young offenders outside of custody. England and Wales has the highest rate of child imprisonment in Europe and one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility at 10 years of age (Howard League for Penal Reform 2008). Young people who populate the criminal justice system come from the most disadvantaged in society and it can be argued that many are victims before they become offenders (Jacobson, Bhardwa, Gyateng et al. 2010). Therefore, these young people have a number of unmet needs which cannot be addressed in custody and, although community sentences offer a better opportunity to at least address their needs, what is required is a more holistic approach. It is possible that ways to realise resilience in the young person’s community could provide the best way to address their criminal behaviour. Acknowledging their hidden resilience and focusing upon their strengths, rather than their deficits, offers the best way of realising the resilience of young people involved with the criminal justice system. According to Ungar (2011), resilience is observed when individuals engage in behaviours that help them to navigate their way to resources they need to flourish. Adequate resources require increased social justice through the more equitable distribution of resources allowing for people’s social ecologies to meet those needs. Community sentences in a growth-fostering environment offer the best way forward