The association between local authority care and offending behaviour was examined in 250 looked after young people of the age of criminal responsibility. Whilst a greater number of the young people had committed offences than in the general population, the vast majority were law abiding. For those who did offend, the care episode itself was unlikely to have been the sole cause of their delinquency. The findings suggest that the services offered once the young people entered local authority care did not succeed in combating established offending behaviour. Perhaps initiatives targeted in the community prior to entry to care may be more effective.
Anglin, J. (2003) Pain, Normality, and the Struggle for Congruence: Reinterpreting Residential Care for Children and Youth. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.
2.
Bebbington, A. and Miles, J. (1989) `The Background of Children who Enter Local Authority Care', British Journal of Social Work19(5): 349-68.
3.
Boreham, R. and Shaw, A. (2001) Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England in 2000. London: Office of National Statistics.
4.
Cleaver, H., Walker, S. and Meadows, P. (2004) Assessing Children's Needs and Circumstances: The Impact of the Assessment Framework. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
5.
Department for Education and Skills (2005a) Every Child Matters: Change for Children. London: DfES.
6.
Department for Education and Skills (2005b) Statistics of Education: Outcome Indicators for Looked after Children. London: DfES.
7.
Department for Education and Skills (2006a) First Release. Outcome Indicators for Looked After Children: Twelve Months to 30 September 2005, England. London: DfES.
8.
Department for Education and Skills (2006b) Statistics of Education: Children Looked After by Local Authorities: Year Ending 31st March 2005, Volume 1. London: DfES.
9.
Department for Education and Skills (2006c) Care Matters: Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care . DfES Green Paper. London: The Stationery Office.
10.
Department of Health (2000) Quality Protects. London: Department of Health.
11.
Department of Health (2001) Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England, Year Ending 31 March 2000. London: The Stationery Office
12.
Department of Health (2002) Choice Protects. London: Department of Health
13.
Farrington, D.P. (1996a) `Later Life Outcomes of Truants in the Cambridge Study', in I. Berg and J. Nursten (eds), Unwillingly to School,4th Edition. London: Gaskell.
14.
Farrington, D.P. (1996b) Understanding and Preventing Youth Crime. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation/York Publishing Services.
15.
Farrington, D.P. (2001) `Multiple Risk Factors for Multiple Problem Violent Boys', in R.R. Carrado, R. Roesch, S.D. Hart and J.K. Gierowski (eds), Multi-problem Violent Youth. Amsterdam: IOS Press.
16.
Farrington, D.P. (2002) `Key Findings from the First 40 Years of the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development', in T.P. Thornberry and M.D. Krohn (eds), Taking Stock of Delinquency: An Overview of Findings from Contemporary Longitudinal Studies. New York: Kluwer/Plenum.
17.
Graham, J. (1988) Schools, Disruptive Behaviour and Delinquency: A Review of Research, Home Office Research Study96. London: HMSO.
18.
Graham, J., and Bowling, B. (1995) Young People and Crime, Home Office Research Study145. London : Home Office.
19.
Hazel, N., Hagell, A., Liddle, M., Archer, D., Grimshaw, R. and King, J. (2002) Detention and Training: Assessment of the Detention and Training Order and its Impact on the Secure Estate across England and Wales. London: Youth Justice Board .
20.
Home Office (2000) Youth Crime: Findings from the 1998/1999 Youth Lifestyles Survey, Home Office Research Study209. London: Home Office.
21.
Home Office (2001) Criminal Careers of Those Born Between 1953 and 1978, Home Office Statistical Bulletin4/01. London: HMSO.
22.
Home Office (2004a) Joint Inspection Report into Persistent and Prolific Offenders. London: Home Office Communications Directorate.
23.
Home Office (2004b) Preventative Approaches Targeting Young People in Local Authority Residential Care. London: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.
24.
Home Office (2005) Criminal Statistics England and Wales, 2005. London: The Stationery Office.
25.
Matheson, J. and Babb, P.(eds) (2002) Social Trends, Volume 32. London: The Stationery Office.
26.
Meltzer, H., Gatward, R., Goodman, R. and Ford, T. (2000) Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in Great Britain. London: The Stationery Office.
27.
Millham, S., Bullock, R. and Cherret, P. (1975) After Grace - Teeth. London : Chaucer Publishing Co. Ltd.
28.
Minty, B. and Ashcroft, C. (1987) Child Care and Adult Crime. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
29.
Nacro (2001) Youth Crime Briefing: Girls in the Youth Justice System. London: Nacro
30.
Nacro (2003) Reducing Offending by Looked After Children: A Good Practice Guide. London: Nacro
31.
Polsky, H. (1962) Cottage Six. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
32.
Quinton, D., and Rutter, M. (1988) Parenting Breakdown: The Making and Breaking of Inter-Generational Links. Aldershot: Avebury.
33.
Rutter, M., Giller, H., and Hagell, A. (1998) Antisocial Behavior by Young People. New York: Cambridge University Press.
34.
Simpson, M. (2003) `The Relationship between Drug Use and Crime: A Puzzle Inside an Enigma', International Journal of Drug Policy , 14(4), 307-19.
35.
Sinclair, I., and Gibb, I. (1998) Children's Homes: A Study in Diversity. Chichester: Wiley.
36.
Skuse, T., Macdonald, I., and Ward, H. (2001) Looking After Children: Transforming Data into Management Information, Report of Longitudinal Study at 30.9.99, Third Interim Report to the Department of Health. Loughborough: Loughborough University, Centre for Child and Family Research.
37.
Skuse, T., and Ward, H. (2003) Outcomes for Looked After Children: Children's Views of Care and Accommodation: An Interim Report to the Department of Health . Loughborough: Loughborough University, Centre for Child and Family Research.
38.
Taylor, C. (2004) `Social Work and Looked After Children', in D.B. Smith (ed..) Social Work and Evidence-Based Practice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
39.
Taylor, C. (2006) Young People in Care and Criminal Behaviour. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
40.
Utting, D., Bright, J. and Henricson, C. (1993) Crime and the Family: Improving Child-Rearing and Preventing Delinquency, Occasional Paper 16. London: Family Policy Studies Centre.
41.
Ward, H., Hardy, A.J. and Munro, E. (forthcoming) Serial Parenting: Moves Within the Care System, their Reasons and their Consequences:,Interim Report to Department for Children, Schools and Families. Loughborough: Loughborough University, Centre for Child and Family Research.
42.
Ward, H. and Skuse, T. (1999) Looking After Children: Using Data as Management Information: Report from the First Year of Data Collection, Report to the Department of Health. Totnes: Dartington Research Unit.
43.
Ward, H. and Skuse, T. (2001) `Performance Targets and Stability of Placements for Children Long Looked After Away from Home', Children and Society15(5): 333-46.
44.
Ward, H., Holmes, L., Soper, J. and Olson, R. (forthcoming). The Costs and Consequences of Childcare Placements . London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
45.
West, D.J. (1982) Delinquency: Its Roots, Careers and Prospects. London: Heinemann.
46.
Youth Justice Board (2001) Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Youth Crime and Effective Interventions to Prevent It, Research Note 5. London: Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.
