Adolescent Violence and Abuse: Findings from research of the Step Up intervention in a UK setting

Little is known about police sponsored interventions designed to positively impact upon the problem of child and adolescent to parent/guardian violence and abuse (CAPVA) and their effectiveness in helping to divert children and young people away from criminalisation. Here we describe a UK-based programme called Step Up. The aim of the programme is to deliver, through a holistic approach, parental/carer education and child coaching to reduce violence and abuse towards parents/guardians. Utilising a mixed methods approach, our research was designed to provide understanding of the outcomes and impact of the programme for service users and key stakeholders including funders of the provision and local communities. The primary aim was to examine the impact of the programme in the short-to-medium term on behaviour, wellbeing, and reoffending with a deeper analysis of the mechanisms of the programme that influence changed behaviour. Findings showed that while the programme had some positive impact, with most of the surveyed families reporting some improvements in behaviours and attitudes, for a small minority, offending behaviours continued or increased. In this article, we expand upon these findings and discuss positive aspects of the programme which appeared to contribute towards improved behaviours. We also identify key barriers for young people and their families in reducing incidents of CAPVA. While based on a particular intervention in the UK, our discussion offers insight that contributes towards a broader understanding of ‘what works’ which can be utilised in interventions beyond regional and country specific borders.