There is limited evidence for the effects and impacts of arts interventions for at-risk and offending children and young people (CYP)
There is no clear evidence for the effectiveness of arts interventions for CYP who are at-risk of or who have offended, for behavioural (actions), psychosocial (emotional and cultural), cognitive (logic/thought) and offending outcomes.
There is limited evidence for individual positive personal experiences from arts interventions for CYP in this population. There is limited evidence that successful arts interventions need to be accessible and flexible in their timing and access to facilities, supported by staff, family and communities, with culturally relevant activity, youth-focused, and sustainable. Lack of support, limited funding, and ineffectual support outside the justice system could be barriers to successful arts interventions for CYP.
What is this review about?
This review is about the effect and impact of arts interventions in preventing youth violence in CYP at-risk of offending or who have offended.
What is the aim of this review?
This review examines the effects of arts interventions on behavioural (actions), psychosocial (emotional and cultural), cognitive (logic/thought) and offending behaviours in CYP at-risk of offending or who have offended.
What studies are included?
We included 43 studies (three quantitative, two mixed-methods and 38 qualitative). The studies spanned the period 2002–2022 and were mostly carried out in the UK and USA.
What are the main findings of this review?
We found insufficient evidence (few studies; poor quality) to support or refute the effectiveness of arts interventions for CYP at-risk of offending or who have offended for any outcome.
Limited evidence suggests that arts interventions of different types may need to include accessible delivery sites, support from staff, family and community members, expert delivery by professional artists to whom participants could relate, culturally relevant creative activity, a youth focus, consistency, regularity and a sustainable strategy.
How has this intervention worked?
Arts interventions may lead to positive emotions, the development of a good sense of self, successful engagement in creative practices, and development of positive personal relationships with peers, family, prison staff and communities for CYP who are at-risk of offending or who have offended.
What do the findings of this review mean?
There is insufficient evidence (few studies; poor quality) to support or refute the effectiveness of arts interventions for CYP at-risk of offending or who have offended, and no evidence for our primary outcome ‘offending behaviour’.
The qualitative data illustrate some consensus about best practice even in the absence of outcomes evidence and the overall poor methodological quality and limited detail in the analysis within studies.
How up-to-date is this review?
The review authors searched for studies up to 2023.