Sport for Crime Prevention: Knife Crime in Birmingham
When to intervene?
Once youth committed a crime, they are more likely to develop a persistent pattern of offending (Assink et al., 2015).
Adolescence: importance of this developmental stage for the onset of psycho-social problems (Strong et al., 2005).
Why Sport? Armour et al. (2013)
Match needs of participants with programme aims.
Located outside of school context, taken away from negative environment.
Work with pupils to choose activities.
SDT - Autonomy
Set targets and review progress - easy for sport to adopt.
Establish effective working relationship.
Pathways for future development.
Theories that Underpin Sport and Crime
Diversion
7 in 10 teenagers believe antisocial behaviour occurs because of young people being bored.
6 in 10 say that there isn't enough for young people to do in their area.
Hook
Including life skills workshops alongside participation in sport and recreation programmes other risk factors can be addressed.
Platform for reintegration.
Behavioural Modification
Enhancing self-regulation abilities as a result of the skills needed in the activity.
Social Inclusion
Sport and recreation can breakdown barriers between groups of people in the local area who might not otherwise engage,
Why it might not work
May not transfer from sport to real life.
Deviency Training: Interpersonal dynamics of mutual influence during which youth respond +vely to deviant talk and behaviour (Dishion and Tipsord, 2011, p.189).
'Sport as a drug'
If it is taken away, could leave individuals in a vacuum, miserable and crime could increase again.
Has to be development through sport, not just 'fun' (Spruit et al., 2018).