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April 2013 - Launch of AQMeN will involve further analysis of study data This month saw the formal launch of the Applied Quantitative Methods Network (AQMeN). This new £4m Research Centre aims to develop a dynamic and pioneering set of projects to improve our
understanding of current social issues in the UK and provide policy
makers and practitioners with the robust independent research-based
evidence to build a better future.
Four strands of research will be developed, including one on
Crime and Victimisation. This strand of the research will draw on
data from the Edinburgh Study, particularly in relation to the
characteristics of those who engage in offending over a long period of
their lives. It is hoped that the findings from the research will
feed into national policy on reducing reoffending. April 2013 - Study findings presented to Congress in Washington DC Study
Co-Director Susan McVie travelled to Washington DC in April with a
contingent of Scots from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research
to exchange research findings and discuss ideas for potential future
collaboration with academics from George Mason University in the US.
The focus of the visit was on policing, and Susan was asked to
present findings on 'young people and the police' from the Edinburgh
Study to a group of congressional staff and others at the Capitol
Building. Susan's presentation focused on the potentially harmful
effects of repeated police targeting of suspect populations, and
emphasised the Scottish Whole System Approach to youth justice as a
positive alternative to formal police measures. To see Susan's
presentation at the Congressional Briefing, visit the George Mason University YouTube site. **March 2013 - Edinburgh Study team wins major Research Medal** We
are delighted to announce that Professors Lesley McAra and Susan McVie
have been jointly awarded the Howard League Research Medal 2013.
The Medal is awarded to researchers who have offered genuine new
insights into the penal system and made an impact by changing penal
policy and pracitce through high quality research. Lesley and Susan
will be formally awarded the Medal by the Lord President of the Howard
League at a ceremony in the Houses of Parliament in July. The
award was made jointly with a team of researchers at Swansea University
who have also been engaged in research on young people. For
further details visit the Howard League for Penal Reform.
March 2013 - Public lecture highlights lack of data on offending Scotland
is lagging behind other countries because of a lack of robust data on
offending, according to Study Co-Director Susan McVie. In a
public lecture for the Scottish Association for the Study of Offending
(SASO) on 5th March, Susan highlighted the lack of national survey data
on offending behaviour in Scotland and explained how this was essential
to developing effective public policy. The lecture titled 'Youth
Offending in Scotland: How much do we really know about it?' focused on
the global drop in crime rates, which has also been seen in Scotland,
and discussed how difficult it was to find plausible explanations
without good survey data. Drawing attention to the Edinburgh
Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, she demonstrated how high quality
data could be used to improve our understanding of how and why people
get involved in and, more importantly, desist from offending. February 2013 - BBC Scotland interview with Professor McVie Professor
Susan McVie was interviewed by Graham Stewart for BBC Radio Scotland's
Newsdrive show on Friday 22nd February. The story, which was
picking up on the study findings around school exclusion and offending,
focused on why children who are excluded from school are more likely to
end up with a prison record in their early adult years. To hear
the interview in full, visit the BBC website. The story is also featured on the University of Edinburgh's news website. February 2013 - Edinburgh Study findings highlighted in TESS Findings
from the Edinburgh Study on school exclusion feature heavily in a
recent article in the Times Education Supplement Scotland (TESS).
The article, titled 'Vexed Questions over School Exclusions', was
published on 8th February and focuses on issues around practices
and policies adopted by schools in dealing with difficult and
disruptive pupils in Scottish Schools. The Edinburgh Study is one
of the few major UK studies to have explored the relationship between
school exclusion and later outcomes for young people, and reveals that
a child who is excluded from school by the age of 12 is four times more
likely to end up in prison by the time they reach age 22.
Professor Susan McVie, who was interviewed for the article, notes
that the link arises because children who are excluded from school have
poorer educational outcomes, tend to be vulnerable and socially
disadvantaged and become labelled as problematic. To read the article
in full, click here.January 2013 - One minute videos of Edinburgh Study findings released The
University of Edinburgh has released a series of one minute videos
highlighting some of the valuable research carried out by researchers.
Lesley McAra and Susan McVie have contributed short pieces which
highlight some of the key findings from the Edinburgh Study.
Susan's video focuses on the dangers of labelling young people
who get involved in offending; while Lesley talks about the importance
of tackling school exclusion in order to reduce persistent and serious
offending. Both videos are available on the University of
Edinburgh website - to watch them click on Susan or Lesley. January 2013 - Academy of Social Sciences to highlight Edinburgh Study Co-Directors
Susan McVie and Lesley McAra have been asked by the Academy of Social
Sciences to submit a summary of impact from the Edinburgh Study to be
highlighted in the next booklet in their 'Making the Case for Social
Sciences in the UK' series. The focus of this particular booklet
will be longitudinal research, and the purpose of the booklet is to
demonstrate to a wide audience how valuable of these types of study are
and how the research from longitudinal studies can make a difference to
society. The booklet is expected to be published in May 2013 -
watch this space for further information.
December 2012 - Balancing children's confidentiality with the need to share data Professor
Susan McVie took part in
a Round Table discussion organised by the Scottish Child Law Centre and
sponsored by Kezia Dugdale MSP at the Scottish Parliament on 13th
December. The topic of the discussion was
‘Children’s confidentiality versus the need to share information –
where is the
balance?’. Speaking alongside others such as Ken MacDonald (the
Assistant
Information Commissioner for Scotland) and Boyd McAdam (Getting it
Right for
Every Child Team, Scottish Government), Susan outlined some of the
opportunities and challenges of sharing data on young people based on
current
practice-based evidence. Using examples based on the Edinburgh
Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, she demonstrated the value of
linking together different data sources for research purposes in order
to inform policy and practices and ultimately improve the lives of
young people. However, she also drew an important distinction
between 'data linkage' and 'data sharing', which has far more ethical
and moral difficulties.
December 2012 - A society of captives? Lecture to the Howard League Scotland On 11th
December, Professor Lesley McAra delivered a lecture for the Howard
League Scotland Lecture Series titled 'A society of captives? new
findings fromthe Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime'.
The lecture, which attracted a large audience, focused on the
longer term outcomes of the sample of Edinburgh Study cohort members
that was followed up at our most recent sweep at age 25. Lesley
highlighted the lack of correspondence between individual's
self-reported offending and their criminal record histories, and argued
strongly that criminal justice outcomes are influenced far more by the
activities and processes of organisations such as the police and courts
than by individual offending behaviour. These findings will form
the basis of new reports and articles that are due to be published in
2013.
December 2012 - Evidence to Scottish Parliament Justice Committee
On 11th
December, Professor Susan McVie gave evidence to the Justice Committee
at the Scottish Parliament. Addressing the topic
of the connection between school exclusion and offending, Susan drew
on findings from the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and
Crime which have identified a strong relationship between school
exclusion and later offending and, more
importantly, prosecution and conviction. The Justice Committee
requested
that further information from the Edinburgh Study be submitted as
supplementary
evidence. Details of the Committee proceedings can be found in
the
official report at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=7607&mode=pdf.
September 2012 - New theoretical paper published Our most recent article has just been published in Criminology and Criminal Justice, titled Negotated order: Towards a theory of pathways into and out of offending.
The article draws on both quantitative and qualitative data from the
study to explore the role which formal and informal regulation play in
the development of offender identity. We found that cultural practices
of formal orders (such as those imposed by schools and the police) and
informal orders (such as the rules governing peer interactions) have
similar effects on young people. Formal orders differentiate between
categories of young people on the basis of class and suspiciousness.
Whereas, informal orders differentiate between individuals on the basis
of adherence to group norms, territorial sovereignty, and gender
appropriate demeanour. Being excluded by either set of orders
undermines the capacity of the individual to negotiate, limits autonomy
and constrains choice. This renders the individual more likely to
absorb identities ascribed to them with damaging consequences in terms
of offending behaviour and the individual’s sense of self. Click here to get further details of the article.
For more news from the Edinburgh Study go to our News Archive
Website last updated: 25th February 2013 (SM)
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