Education Sector Round Table on Youth Justice Renewal 8 November 1999 Summary of discussion for participants

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Education Sector Round Table on Youth Justice Renewal 8 November 1999 Summary of discussion for participants

Introduction

The Youth Justice Renewal Initiative stresses the importance of developing partnerships to deal effectively with offending youth and youth at-risk in their communities. The Education Sector Round Table, held November 8^th,1999, launched a series of round table discussions being held over the course of the fall 1999 and winter 2000 to provide a forum for experts in the fields of education, social services, arts and recreation, child advocacy and mental health, to explore their role in preventing youth crime, dealing with youth who have committed offences and facilitating the reintegration and rehabilitation of young offenders.

Note: The following summary reflects the views expressed by participants at the Round Table to be considered by the Department of Justice in the implementation of the Youth Justice Renewal Initiative.

Were present at the discussion: see attached list

A. The Role of Schools and Education Professionals in Crime Prevention

The role of schools is to educate all children in a safe and intellectually challenging environment. Participants agreed that schools can also have an important role in crime prevention because of their social, cultural and developmental approach to educating children and youth. In addition, schools are particularly well placed to identify early symptoms of future difficulties. There also appears to be a link between language problems and problem behaviour. Those in the school environment are well placed to identify children and youth at risk.

Participants at the session agreed that schools need to be given a leadership role in crime prevention because they are often able to come up with creative solutions to difficult behaviour Schools can help children learn skills that they need in order to cope with their environment. This leaves the question of which skills to teach them and how.

However, participants also felt that schools cannot act in isolation from other community groups, parents, police, child care workers and other stakeholders in crime prevention. A comprehensive approach is recommended so that all facets of problem behaviour can be explored and a variety of solutions put together to help the child, in and out of school. A shift is needed to look at the whole child, including the child's family and social milieu. There is often a wide gap between what children understand and are used to at home or with their peers and what is expected of them in school in terms of appropriate behaviour. Schools have to understand what the gap is if they are to help.

Governments must work together, federal, provincial, municipal and school boards to ensure that crime prevention programs are properly funded, implemented and sustained. There needs to be co-operation if scarce resources are to be used in the most effective manner possible. At the moment, many of the model programs in the area of crime prevention are pilot programs. Schools must be able to move beyond the pilot program stage if they are to be effective in the long run, and funding needs to be sustained beyond an initial try-out period. Teachers will not commit to a program unless they are trained, and that takes time and resources. There also needs to be training for other members of the community because the achievement of long term results cannot be accomplished on a volunteer basis. Change is labour intensive and costs money.

Some schools are currently working with the Head Start Program for children who have difficult family situations which put them at-risk. In the Commission scolaire de Montréal, a program has been set up to help teachers cope with problem behaviours. The staff of the whole school has to become involved in the treatment of these students, and everyone needs to participate in showing acceptable behaviours (recess supervisor, lunchroom supervisor, library personnel, music room teacher, etc.). Partnerships established within the school are considered to be just as important in the treatment of problem behaviours as partnerships with outside agencies.

Participants also felt that consultation with parents (and grandparents) is very important. An at-risk child or youth needs support at home, and parents need to be ‘in the loop' when a treatment program has been launched. In addition, schools must be aware of the parents' situation and points of view. Focus groups of parents and grandparents make it clear that their own view of their needs differs considerably from what the professionals think they need. School programs are most successful if they are broad-based, connected to the community and the parents.

Current policies of funding caps or outright reductions on special programs force schools to deal only with the worst cases, a practice which is neither prudent nor effective in the long run. Participants voiced their frustration that jurisdictional issues in education constitute a barrier to true effectiveness, and wanted the federal government to take the initiative and show leadership. Participants were interested in the potential of the new federal commitment to work with the voluntary sector in terms of providing a national leadership role. They also mentioned the possibility of using the Social Union Framework Agreement to work with provinces and territories regarding education matters.

Participants advised that schools don't have resources to do research, there are gaps in understanding the size and shape of the problem with regard to youth at-risk behaviours. Policy-makers need information to make school settings safe for all children. They would also like to see an easily accessible national compendium setting out the common elements of successful programs. And, they want to know what skills need to be taught to children at risk in schools to make sure they don't end up going through the justice system.

B. Dealing with Behaviour Disorder Problems

Teachers are frustrated by having to deal with problem behaviour inside their classrooms without appropriate training. They are also frustrated at not receiving all the support that they need within the school to deal with problem behaviour. The important role of school administrators to the success of the programs was emphasizedemphasised.

A school in Whitehorse has developed a 5-stage intervention program for dealing with problem behaviour, and frameworks have been partially developed to help teachers who have students with difficult behaviour in their classes. The 5-stage program includes outside intervention and conferencing for children with serious difficulties.

In all interventions with problem children in classes, it is very important for the school administration to understand and support the teachers. Tools would be useful to help teachers decide what needs to be done with children with specific needs, and the proper sequencing of interventions to provide maximum help to the children.

The effectiveness and broader social consequences of suspensions and expulsions as traditional school sanctions for misbehaviour were raised. A program has recently started in Barrie, Ontario for suspended youth.

In the Niagara region, a Community Justice Forum program is being implemented to facilitate dealing with youth behaviour disorders in a school setting. Community Justice Forums are similar to Healing Circles in that they aim at making youth aware that their offensive behaviour hurts victims; they also involve the youth in establishing the punishment or means of restitution. The hope is that this program will cut down on recidivism and prevent further incidents.

Participants felt that dealing with behaviour disorder problems requires leadership on a national level. There was discussion on the policy of "zero tolerance" in the schools and how, on the one hand, it has promoted intolerance and a very rigid view of what is acceptable behaviour, while on the other hand it can be useful if its focus remains on helping promote appropriate behaviour. Information would be useful on how to mesh the zero tolerance policy and alternative methods of dealing with problem behaviour.

The question of culture is also important. Some difficult behaviour needs to be understood and dealt with from a diversity standpoint.

C. Working as Partners with the Youth Justice System

A lot of children and youth with behaviour problems have difficulties within the traditional educational system. There is a need for programs that are more tailored to their requirements, such as alternative high schools. These students may need different approaches if learning is to become positive and relevant.

Appropriate tools, training and communications links are needed to work effectively with children and youth with behaviour problems. Several participants mentioned the importance of including youth in the consultation process.

One participant suggested that volunteerism is often an important element for helping youth with difficulties. If they are able to do something good for someone else, it builds pride in themselves and their families and communities.

The issue of mandatory school attendance as part of a sentence was raised. Many young people breach conditions of probation orders that require them to "attend schools". Participants suggested that the judicially-imposed condition not order youth to "attend school" but rather to "participate in an educational program" which would allow schools to help them in more specific and tailored programs. The classroom situation is often not appropriate.

In Newfoundland, one school has funded a position of "educational liaison officer" whose sole purpose is to create linkages with the justice system, so that when the school receives a student under sentence, it is better equipped to prepare programs that involve all of the stakeholders (parents, probation officer, teachers, principal, child care worker, etc.) as well as the young offender. Similarly, a case could also be made for case managers who would gather all stakeholders for conferencing, make sure there is follow-up, check on progress, evaluate effects of programs, look at goals, strategies, timelines, etc..

In secondary schools in Quebec, there is a program called "Do you know my gang?" which is geared specifically toward youth who were/are part of a gang which pursues criminal activities. It aims at creating partnerships among police, parents, and educators, and at providing information regarding probable consequences of actions and programs. This program also seeks to abate the resentment felt by educators when they are handed special cases that they are not equipped to handle successfully.

All policies for dealing with youth under sentence must balance the youth's entitlement to an education against the interests of others to feel safe and secure. This may mean that some young people will not go to school. Consulting with the teachers and school administrators is key to developing programs that fulfil a youth's educational needs while maintaining a safe and constructive environment for others. In Winnipeg, there is a separate facility to handle youth on probation (grades 7-12). The program is more flexible, is run by very dedicated and experienced professionals who work with police and social service agencies.

D. Helping the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Young People Into the Community and Next Steps

Collaborative, integrated groups work best in helping young people reintegrate into a community. The greater the collaboration among stakeholders (including the young offender), the greater the possibility of the reintegration program being well thought out and effective.

The financial burden of dealing with high-risk students in a resource-deprived environment must be shared. Special programs are costly. In some areas, certain schools seem to get the lion's share of students with problem behaviour. Special consideration must be given to funding of the programs for these young people, which can be in place for a number of years. Whole service support is not available for children and youth with behaviour problems. Working hours are expanding, resources are diminishing, and the service capacity is not in place.

Final comments from participants :

• National Crime Prevention Week could be used as a special time for getting information out to teachers and others.

• It is important to create partnerships and interagency collaboration. Often the ultimate responsibility tends to rest with the schools. If funds are available, provide them to schools most in need. Channel some funding into schools who work hard on the pro-active end of things since they are ultimately responsible for making changes.

• We need a way to get information to the rest of the constituencies (parents, teachers, youth).

• Police forces must become partners in prevention.

• Create a catalogue of resources and research on-line. On January 14^th 2000, the Canadian Association of Principals is planning a meeting to organize web information. There is an opportunity to use technology to co-operate with the educators. We need to know more about the policies and programs regarding appropriate behaviours for schools.

• We react from our assumptions, and often have assumptions as to what some programs do and do not do. Have ongoing dialogue, keep communication going and flowing, and involve as many players as possible. Look at the concept of culture, and involve the school counsellors.

• Would like to keep working with you. Don't want to let this go.

• We need more resources. Bureaucracy often forgets that. Guidance counsellors, probation officers, teachers, principals, all have heavy caseloads. We need more staff.

• Don't forget the children. Talk to them. Allow our solutions to grow from the ground up instead of the top down. The more people feel a part of the solution, whether victim or offender, the better the chance of success. Identify mechanisms that can assist us: co-ordinators are one means of ensuring that legislation is successful.

• Need for training is critical, and the involvement of school boards is important. School boards and the school system have done a lot of information sharing and found that programs don't transplant easily form from one community to another. Better to look at components of programs that work, and help create mechanisms to facilitate dissemination of information. Adopt a multi-faceted approach nationally, on a Canada-wide basis. Certain things can be done nationally, such as an advisory group for ongoing discussions.

• Will disseminate information provided to us on the Renewal of Youth Justice Initiative and the new proposed legislation in our communities.

• Evaluate the programs. We have lots of good will but lack data on what works well.

• Provide parents with information, practical tips and resources to help them deal with difficult behaviours as an alternative to corporal punishment.

• Mesh with the Drug Strategy and the Homeless Strategy.

• Written materials and the Web are not going to reach all the parents. Look at a wider range of means to deliver information.

• Continue to provide funding for front-line initiatives, not lavish, but adequate and ongoing. It's difficult to do what needs to be done when one constantly faces the possibility of losing funding.

• Important to have resources in place to ensure successful re-integration. Schools and special programs don't have sufficient funds to hire the number of tutors required to provide individual assistance to youth under sentence or recently released from custody.

• We need to listen and learn from practitioners. We need to support teachers and involve the faculties of Education. Bring front line practitioners together on a regional basis.

• Need for a comprehensive strategy and for finding some way to put children on a national agenda. The federal government needs to respond to the leadership challenge in the area children and youth with behaviour problems. We need to value and legitimizelegitimise teachers and schools as the fundamental instruments for rehabilitation and social integration. Until we find a way to marry the silos, we simply ignore children at our peril and at their peril.

J. Ruest
16/12/99