Week 8: Sport and crime

Question 1

Roles of sports in tackling crimes

Answer 1

Low cost, non stigmatised method of tackling youth crime levels.
Sport based initiatives are more fun, so more effective in attracting herd to reach demographic groups.

Question 2

Theory of social bond

Answer 2

Criminology theory
individuals with stronger social bonds to society are less likely to engage in criminal activities and antisocial behaviours
4 elements
attachment to significant others
commitment
beliefs in society’s values
involvement in sports
(Hirschis, 1969)

Question 3

Social Vulnerability theory

Answer 3

Focus on the social domain of youth antisocial behaviour. Anti social behaviours often result in troubled disconnected relationships with society.
(Vettenburgs, 1998)
Sports based intervention could facilitate bonding processes and positive experiences
(Haudenhuyse et al, 2012)

Question 4

Experimental learning theory

Answer 4

Focus on an individual perspective
- individuals learning processes
- sport based interventions can contribute to PYD therefor prevent juvenile delinquency
- can learn positive tasks skills and virtues
- learning is facilitated by a coach who reflects with youth upon their experiences
(newman et al, 2017)

Question 5

Theory of change

Answer 5

Emerged in 2013 amongst key practitioners experience in criminal justice settings
designed for practitioners who engage
- young people at risk of offending
- those already engaged
- those with experience of custody
(Mason et al, 2020; Morgan et al, 2020)

Question 6

KITC project (kicking crime into touch)

Answer 6

2 year youth justice intervention programme (2018-2020)
funded by UK based sports charity
used to address social issues
encourages justice involved 14 young men to take part in rugby programme
(Crowther, 2023; Crowther et al, 2022)

Question 7

previously positive results: rugby as a hook for chance among incarcerated youth in England and Wales.

Answer 7

positive virtues inherent in rugby
2 hours sessions per week at uni sport complex
second hour s&c
each session learning core values

Question 8

Positives and negative of the rugby

Answer 8

positive:
- enjoyment release of stress exposure to new people & situations feeling respected by a rugby coach
negatives:
- wouldnt adress all the negative issues in a participants life
- one size fits all approach

Question 9

Line up, live up Aims

Answer 9

To promote sports and sport based learning as a tool to prevent crime.
Positively influence behaviours and attitudes of young people and prevent anti social behaviours.
working with international experts in 11 countries
(UNODC,2020)
Targeted at males and females ages 12-18

Question 10

Line up, Live up provides…

Answer 10

interactive sessions on
- Life skills and attitudes among youth
- mediate factors resilient to crime
Diverse types of sports
debrief experiences
97% of youth surveyed agreed they learned skills for every day life

Question 11

Academic debates: Instrumental role of sport

Answer 11

Misguidedly positioned ‘sport as a panecea’ and its transformative abilities for addressing social issues
(Morgan et al, 2020)

Question 12

Academic debates: Some sports can be counter productive

Answer 12

Encouraging violent behaviour, inherent hypermasculine natures aggression, strength.
(Crowther et al, 2022)

Question 13

Academic Debates: Differences in experiencing a programme

Answer 13

Individuals experience the same programme differently
not easily applies to other domains

Question 14

Academic debates: No clear correlation or causation

Answer 14

Little evidence to support the claim
(COalter, 2007)
Confusion in evaluation how policy interventions have worked
(Pawson, 2013)

Question 15

Ethical Considerations

Answer 15

Whos responsibility and what is priority?
who are target populations
how to assess programmes