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Determining identity and nationality in local policing

The study involved an examination of practices for checking the nationality and migrant status of arrestees in a sample of custody suites in England and Wales in 2006/07.

The study also involved the piloting of enhanced checking processes in four custody suites. The aim was to examine the use of immigration powers when dealing with foreign national (FN) arrestees and whether this could be expanded and improved.

Grampian police return home welfare interview pilot for young runaways: pilot evaluation

The overall aim of this evaluation was to explore the most effective means of delivering Return Home Welfare Interviews (RHWIs) to ensure the best outcomes for the child/young person. It set out to examine the operation of the pilot as implemented in Aberdeen City and Elgin, to reflect the range of models of delivery used and the overall impact of the pilot. One area in Aberdeenshire (Fraserburgh) formed the control area to illustrate original practice in Grampian and current practice outwith the pilot areas.

Gang membership and knife carrying: findings from the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime

This report presents key findings on gang membership and knife carrying amongst a cohort of young people based on data collected by the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime (ESYTC). The analysis was commissioned in light of a lack of quantitative data measuring the extent of gang membership and knife crime in Scotland.

Troublesome youth groups, gangs and knife carrying in Scotland

There is limited reliable evidence relating to the nature, form and prevalence of youth ‘gangs’ and knife carrying in Scotland. Recognising these information shortfalls, this research report seeks to provide an overview of what is known about the nature and extent of youth gang activity and knife carrying in a set of case study locations; provide an in-depth account of the structures and activities of youth gangs in these settings; provide an in-depth account of the knife carrying in these settings; and offer a series of recommendations for interventions in these behaviours.

Discussing violence: let's hear it for the girls

This article presents some key findings from an exploratory study of teenage girls’ views and experiences of violence, carried out in Scotland. Using data gathered from self-report questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, it conveys girls’ perceptions of violence and discusses the nature and extent of the many forms of violence in girls’ lives. In particular, the article flags up the pervasiveness of verbal conflicts within girls’ lives and outlines the characteristics of those girls who describe themselves as violent.

'Prove me the bam!’: victimisation and agency in the lives of young women who commit violent offences

This article reviews the evidence regarding young women’s involvement in violent crime and, drawing on recent research carried out in HMPYOI Cornton Vale in Scotland, provides an overview of the characteristics, needs and deeds of young women sentenced to imprisonment for violent offending. Through the use of direct quotations, the article suggests that young women’s anger and aggression is often related to their experiences of family violence and abuse, and the acquisition of a negative worldview in which other people are considered as being ‘out to get you’ or ‘put one over on you’.

Shadow writing and participant observation: a study of criminal justice social work around sentencing

The study of decision-making by public officials in administrative settings has been a mainstay of law and society scholarship for decades. The methodological challenges posed by this research agenda are well understood: how can socio-legal researchers get inside the heads of legal decision-makers in order to understand the uses of official discretion?