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The Coronavirus and UK lockdown are impacting upon young people’s day to day lives – but it’s not all negative. Our guest blogger Simone shares the positives she’s experiencing during this time, and the hope they’re giving her for the future.

There has been a lot of talk recently on the current crisis situation of Covid-19 and the negative effects it is having on people’s lives, with a stalling economy and rising death toll. People are losing loved ones, are panic buying and can see that the world is in a bit of a state right now and that it’s not going to end anytime soon. I can foresee a long hard battle to get our economy and our health system back to a place of well-being and comfort.

However, I have seen some silver linings to all this and have been fortunate enough to witness some pretty outstanding things on my day to day life which have restored the faith in humanity. Over the past few weeks I feared I was ‘starting to lose it’ and I would like to share them with you all in the hope that you can see things a little differently and see the positives in what is undoubtedly a horrific time for all.

On my daily jog I have run the same route for a few weeks now and I have noticed some dramatic changes in the area I live. Not only are so many following the government guidelines and staying home – except for necessities and for a daily exercise – but they are also massive changes in the area itself. For example, the streets outside my local supermarket, which were previously scattered with litter are clear and empty. The houses I pass by – which never usually attract my eye – have pictures and rainbows in them from kids saying thank you to the NHS which has undoubtedly went to battle for us in a massive way. The people I pass who are normally so entranced in their busy lives are now smiling and looking relaxed; most of them even say good morning or wave which is lovely. Normally I would see them on their phones or so caught up in their own minds that they wouldn’t even notice I am there. I see people dropping off packages of food for those who are in self isolation. It is just amazing that in a time when we are in such a bad way many of us still decide to go out and make sure those in need and who are most vulnerable are being supported.

Those are just a few things I have noticed during my daily jog, but there is much more. I have seen a massive change in the way we use social media on our phones or laptops. Devices which made people in the same room seem miles apart and which interrupted family time now brings those who are literally miles apart closer than ever. Whilst previously these devices ruined conversations, they now enable us to contact anyone who we are worrying about in just a few clicks.

As a result, my family have never been closer. My elderly father in law has been shown how to use Zoom which helps us contact him daily to make sure he has company, and to avoid isolation. I am spending more quality time with my daughter Lilly, which sounds daft as we live together, but recently I have been aware that when I am playing dolls or teachers with her I don’t have anything in the back of my head worrying me. Before, I would be thinking about an assignment I need to do, what reading I need to do, how to access a journal and so on. Before lockdown Lilly would ask me to play and I would forever say “two minutes Lilly” or “give me 20 minutes to finish writing this paragraph”. Looking back, this is not the way I want to treat my daughter; she is eight and all she wants to do is play with her mum. So, during this lockdown I believe I have got closer to her than ever, by going for walks around the area we live. Previously, we would have just jumped in the car to head to the park.

I have also seen a big change in the way many of us view our services and workers such as food, retail, social workers, transport drivers, prison officers, delivery drivers, postal workers and many more. These undervalued, underpaid workers strive to deliver the best service possible and to help us in so many ways. From restocking essential items like toilet roll and milk, delivering us food or mail, to helping those who need it most –-these workers are the lifelines of those who are most vulnerable. At the same time, I am in awe of the doctors and nurses in the NHS, who as well as praise need proper protection. They are preventing this virus from taking the lives of so many more.

From what I have seen in my area, restrictions on movement seems to have led to a reduction in crime, and I feel safer now.  With people staying at home, I think that people have a better opportunity to bond with family members, which could lead to better relationships over the long term. This – and reduced drink and drug use – has contributed to very few incidents in the area I live. Perhaps a period of time where younger people do not have the temptation of using these will lead to lower use once the lockdown is lifted, and perhaps will prevent addictions from developing.

As well as being inside and bonding more with their family, young people are keeping in touch with friends or meeting new people on apps that are designed to bring people of all backgrounds closer together. They have much more of an opportunity to study, read, learn and think about what they want to do once lockdown is over; meaningful things such as their hobbies they will be missing and passions they made hold or have newly discovered. Time in lockdown can really help a lot of people of any age get in touch with what they want to do with their life and appreciate not only what they miss in sports and friends but appreciate what they have with their own family’s pets and loved ones. These things can all help people to lead a life free from crime.

I have seen a change in the way we view immigrants – people who many claimed were coming here for an ‘easy life’. I truly believe that opinion has been shattered by the fact that so many people in the NHS are from outwith Scotland, and working round the clock to help as many people as possible. Similarly, local shops run by people of Asian or Eastern European descent have been bending over backwards to make sure everyone gets what they need.

These changes in public attitude are silver linings during these dark and bleak times, and which give me so much hope for the future. Once this is all over I hope the appreciation towards those we once took for granted, and the support we now give to each other, will continue. This pandemic has taught me that together we are limitless, together we have hope, together we stand and divided we fall.

About our blogger

Simone is a student social worker and a founding member of the Participation Network. She sits on both the Staf and Life Changes Trust boards. You can hear more from Simone by following her on Twitter here.

If you have views you want to share about any aspect of the youth justice system, or your personal experience of the Coronavirus restrictions, please contact ross.a.gibson@strath.ac.uk.

As we heard from Louise, family members are often affected by their child’s involvement in the justice system. Elizabeth* reflects on what could have helped her son who was not diagnosed with High Functioning Autism until he came into conflict with the law.

Little was known about autism in the eighties when my son was a child. Although concerns were expressed by teachers and health professionals at every stage throughout his childhood, no-one ever mentioned autism or suggested he should be tested.

He was a gentle, quiet and anxious boy who found comfort in routine. Other children avoided him or, psychologically and physically bullied him. During his second year at high school he made a friend who introduced him to hardcore internet pornography. This was to prove a tragic combination with his as-yet-undiagnosed autism.

He went on to perform well in his exams and later worked a 25 hours per week part time job while studying full time at University, graduating with an honours degree and going on to secure a good job in IT. He chose to work permanent night shift as it was a quieter environment, where he was greatly valued by his employers who praised his logical thinking and attention to detail. He was displaying all the classic traits of autism but we didn’t recognise them as such. He was in a relationship and eventually married but it was obvious his mental and physical health were deteriorating.

Our lives fell apart the night the police phoned to say that he had been arrested and charged with downloading indecent images of children. Not producing, sharing or communicating on social media. Solely viewing material on his home computer. His wife threw him out and never spoke to him again.

A therapist assessed him as having an addiction to internet pornography. This made sense to us as from a very early age he developed obsessions about many obscure subjects which had to be researched to a professional level.

As a first time offender his solicitor expected him to receive a community payback order. To our horror the criminal justice social work report stated he showed no empathy towards his victims. It was also noted that he had no mental health problems despite his medical records highlighting his long running battle with anxiety. He may also have made a bad impression due to difficulty in maintaining eye contact and his wrongly perceived “know it all” attitude. All of the above are well known and often misunderstood autistic traits but the social workers did not recognise this.

The Sheriff seemed to ignore all the mitigating factors and focussed on the social work report. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison.

An appeal was lodged and he was eventually released pending the Hearing but the 71 days spent in prison had taken its toll. He received no therapy during that time and due to his protected status he spent all day locked in his cell only allowed out for an hour three times each week when we visited.

It was while we were waiting for his appeal to be heard that his therapist suggested testing for autism, and was diagnosed as having High Functioning Autism.

The following week his sentence was quashed at high court and replaced with a community payback order, but the damage had been done and the job he loved had been lost. His HR Director refused to give any consideration to his long service and dedication to his job or to his diagnosis, despite an appeal being lodged.

Despite his excellent work record, my son’s chance of getting another job when he has a disability and a criminal record is slim. Employers look at the wording of the Civic Government Act which says “takes, or permits to be taken or makes an indecent photograph” and assume it means there has been contact with a child. This is very misleading and is also used in the press to sensationalise articles without offering any explanation as to the true meaning of the offence. The wording on Disclosure Scotland certificates is equally confusing and very damning.

Loss of his job and difficulties finding another have contributed to a further decline in his mental health resulting in his doctor and DWP finding him unfit for work for a while. He was considered by social workers to be unsuitable for group therapy due to his social anxiety and was not offered an alternative, so the very small sum of benefit money he received was spent on continuing his private therapy until we thankfully found Cornerstone, a wonderful charity which supports people with disabilities in his situation.

He applied for a post graduate course at university but there are difficulties associated with that too. Despite university welcoming his application and the desire of police and social workers that my son return to study or work, restrictions on his computer use is a barrier to both. If he is unable to do either his mental health will never improve. A dreadful worry when research shows that the suicide rate among those with high functioning autism is 9 times higher than the general population and they have an average life expectancy of only 58.

My son is a wonderful, kind and gentle human being who has been bullied and taken advantage of throughout his life because of his differences but he has never complained or retaliated. He committed a crime which would not have been possible only a few decades ago and may well have been avoided if his autism had been diagnosed at an early age and he had received the support he needed, including a good sex education tailored specifically for those on the autism spectrum. This would also have avoided the great stress that has been placed on the wider family.

Staying safe on the internet is a challenge for anyone but for those who feel isolated from their world it is a greater challenge. The combination of their naivety and a strong compulsion to collect information, along with clever marketing techniques of the pornography industry can lead someone down a very dark rabbit hole, particularly when they don’t possess the gut instinct which most of us rely on to keep safe.

We need to make sure our young people are diagnosed as early as possible so they can receive the help and understanding they deserve. Once they reach adulthood both are in short supply; the general public and many in the criminal justice system are not trained to recognise the disparity between emotional and logical development which can exist in a person with autism.

If you would like to blog about your experiences of the justice system, please contact via ross.a.gibson@strath.ac.uk.

A young person’s journey through the justice systems does not only affect them alone, with families often experiencing stressful situations.  In this blog, Louise* reflects back on the difficulties that her son Jude* overcame, and the help that they received during that time.

Jude is 23 years old. He is doing well now. He has just completed a year at college on a vocational course and will start a further year in August.  He shares a tenancy with a friend nearby, visits us 2-3 times a week and works with his Dad when he can.

Life has not always been this settled. Jude has a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. He was diagnosed when he was 15 – after one year on a waiting list to be seen at CAMHs followed by three years of frustrating “revolving doors” visits to various practitioners at CAMHs. The final diagnosis came as a relief in some ways but was also the start of a painful journey.

High School was a nightmare for Jude. He couldn’t cope socially or academically. Assistance from Learning Support made him stand out at an age when teenagers just want to fit in.  He acted the goat in class and invariably was the one who was caught and sent to the Head’s office. We could have papered the walls with the number of letters about Jude’s poor behaviour, and him being bullied. He was suspended several times before we pleaded with the Head to let him leave at the end of fourth year – the Head was only too relieved to have one less “problem” pupil to manage and so ended Jude’s secondary school life.

That was the start of a period of constant challenges. Jude wanted to join the Army but couldn’t because of his ASD diagnosis and allergies and he could see no positive path through life. Looking back now, I can see that Jude felt rejected and immensely frustrated. For two years he sofa-surfed or camped out with people he met in the city centre. He believed that anyone who spoke to him was a good friend and trusted people too easily. Having started drinking heavily and dabbling with drugs he began a long, unhealthy relationship with the Police and we had a criminal defence lawyer on speed dial.  Riotous house parties, drink fuelled incidents, being found drunk and insensible; and then a week in Polmont. None of this curbed his excessive behaviour and Jude looked awful.

His social worker met with him weekly at first. We found the approach of social work frustrating as they had no means to compel Jude to do anything and their attitude to his drinking was that it was his decision to drink so much.

A turning point came when I made contact with Addaction, initially seeking support for ourselves, in terms of living with an alcoholic, uncontrollable son. The worker assigned to us, Shuna, was “cool” but totally got what was going on with Jude and understood the dangers he placed himself in and the vulnerabilities he had.  Shuna came to our house every Friday to meet him and then eventually, when he trusted her, they might go out for a coffee or a walk. Whilst he was still drinking after six months it was dramatically reduced and there was definitely a calmer feel at home.  I don’t know what their chats were about and I didn’t care – I could see her work with Jude having an impact.  She never missed a date with Jude and he never missed a date either which was amazing. Life was improving incrementally and we dared to hope the worst times were in the past.

Shuna did stop working with Jude but kept in touch with me… just in case.   Jude was still at home, still meeting with his social worker who observed a positive change in his demeanour too. He seemed calmer and more settled. We had spoken about Jude starting a course at college.  We knew he would need a lot of encouragement and support as his time at school had been such a negative experience, meaning he had no confidence and felt he couldn’t do anything. I heard about a vocational course at a local college which I thought would be great for Jude as it had a supported course with a small class number and was located somewhere Jude could get to easily. We met the course lead, David, in January 2018. David totally got Jude. He wasn’t fazed by the ripped clothes, the studded leather jacket, the purple hair or the tattooed hands.  Thankfully David gave Jude a place on the course.

The eight months until he started the course seemed so long.  Jude fell off the wagon once and picked up another charge – by now we were almost blasé about another court date – but on the whole he was much more positive and kept talking about starting college. In August, he was super excited but nervous about starting the course but the college was so supportive that he slotted in with minimal difficulty. I never thought this day would come. He was so excited when he was given his locker and kit to wear and he looked after that all year. He never missed a day of college and was always happy to go in for his classes. He was paired with another person with ASD, Jess.  They got on really well and stuck to each other like glue. His success at college hugely boosted his confidence, and the change was amazing to watch. We kept pinching ourselves thinking the bubble would burst, that he would get mad with a tutor and storm out of the class and start drinking on the streets again. Fortunately Jude made it to the end of the year with the offer of a place for another year as he had done so well.

The last seven years should have been so much better for Jude. The phrase “if only…” surfaces again and again.

If only…school had been able to support Jude instead of punishing and excluding him.

If only…there had been support and advice for both Jude and ourselves post-diagnosis.  It seems that post-diagnosis families like us just fall off a cliff and have to scrabble around for help and support alone. There is no onward referral, no connection between CAMHs and other agencies who could help.

If only…alcohol counselling had been compelled within Jude’s court orders. His social worker took the view that, as an adult, Jude was entitled to make his own choices, even if those choices were bad and led to more conflict with the criminal justice system.

Only the input from Addaction made a positive difference, and we found out about them ourselves.

So here we are back to the beginning of the story and Jude is doing well.  I am so relieved and grateful that he was able to step back from the brink.  His life could have gone so very differently, he could so easily have been a statistic; another young man who died on the streets. Life is better, and best of all Jude is so much happier.

If you’re a parent/carer with a child who is entering the justice system, for the first time, Youth and Criminal Justice in Scotland: the young person’s journey is an online resource that might help.

If you’d like to blog about your own lived experience and what helped you, please email ross.a.gibson@strath.ac.uk.

How do we let love into the system? Rosie Moore shares her thoughts and urges us to start talking about what ‘loving practice’ really looks like.

Love. We all deserve it, we all need it, we all want it. Yet as professionals we tend to peek at it from around a corner, unsure whether to take the plunge and come out and embrace it. Why?

Of course, there are boundaries when it comes to the idea of ‘professional love’, but where did these boundaries come from? I guess that depends on who you ask. Some are uneasy about where boundaries lie, some are concerned about becoming overly attached, some feel unable to love due to ridiculous case loads or vague policies and protocols. But if we look closely at these reasons, they are not barriers caused by us as professionals, as caring human beings, but by a ‘system’ we can all sometimes find difficult to manoeuvre. None of us come in to the field of justice, or care, without first being a caring individual, someone who cares about improving the experiences and lives of others. And nobody wakes up one morning and decides they want to enter the systemic cycle of the care or justice system. What we all need, is a way to show each other care, compassion and love, and for us to be able to receive it.

There is a growing movement of both professionals and young people, highlighting the need for there to be love in the system. Some of us are dubious, unsure of what we mean by love and how we can safely separate the notion of loving practice and unsafe or romantic love. No one is arguing that our young people don’t deserve to be loved, simply that we need to be careful with our definition and expectations of ‘loving practice’.

I wholeheartedly agree. No one can provide a universal definition of love, one that everyone agrees with. Giving and receiving love is something that is unique to us all and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But let us start talking about it without fear. Let us reflect on the things that we as professionals and the system do, that both allow love to flourish and enables our system to be one which allows young people to feel held, supported and loved.

There has been a fantastic shift from asking young people ‘What did you do?’ to ‘What happened to you?’, giving hope that we are moving in the right direction. Looking beyond a young person’s behaviour or seemingly angry or ‘bad’ attitude can really help us to connect with them on a level where genuine change and help is possible. Allowing a young person the space to merely talk in a safe environment can significantly help their trust and relationship with you. There are so many pockets of good practice across the nation that are struggling to be heard over our tendency to focus on fixing the practice which needs improving. Let us adopt an appreciative enquiry approach, highlighting what we are doing well, and getting right for our young people. Let us talk more with Police Scotland as fellow corporate parents, to learn where we can build on our skills and services with young people at the heart. Let us highlight the participation opportunities our justice colleagues are promoting. We should be showcasing the wonderful work that is going on around us, just beneath the surface. We do not grow and improve by criticising each other or pointing out each other’s faults. We grow and improve by learning from and teaching each other, with the goal that the flawed parts of practice simply become minimal and are replaced with loving, compassionate care.

Let us keep that momentum going. Let us keep being curious. Let us keep asking young people what works. Let us keep learning, evolving and adapting. Let us allow love to become second nature within a system that holds some of the young people who need it the most.

About our blogger

Rosie Moore is a social work student at the University of Strathclyde. She has previously blogged about her lived experience of the care and justice systems for CYCJ – and recently got engaged!

Want to write for us?

We’re looking out for bloggers to write for us, who have lived experience of the justice, care or related systems. Please contact ross.a.gibson@strath.ac.uk to find out more.