Update on our school based response to society challenges of youth violence. Includes additional information on risk factors (such as ACEs & vulnerability) and indicators (such as signs / need for instant gratification; drug use; burner phones) as well as further explanation and breakdown of our school based model "Beyond The Gate"

1. ‘Beyond The Gate’
A school based approach in response to the society issues of youth violence
& gang culture

2. School Context
 Large 11-18 Herts secondary (non selective)
 NOR 1180
 Significant % students from Boroughs of Enfield
& Haringey
 Free School Meals: 32.2%
 Deprivation Quartile: Highest 40%
 WB: 42.4% BA: 17.1% BC: 8.7%
 16/17 possible ethnic groups (Nat avg 13)
 EAL: 22.9%
 SEN: 16.1% (top 20% all schools)
 A “good” school (Ofsted)
 Behaviour is “good” (Ofsted)

3. Hertfordshire Context
“The drug lords of Middle
England: London's most
feared criminal gangs
invade England's green and
pleasant shires”
Sheldon Thomas:
March 2016

4. Hertfordshire Context
March 2017
“It’s coming…….”
Mervin Cato –
Head Of Behaviour Support, Borough of Enfield

5. The Here & Now For Us
Increasing incidents of violence & knife related crime
 Herts 44% increase in reported knife crime over past
3 years
 December 2017 Gang related murder on our doorstep
 Increasing incidents of violence within communities
we serve
Met & Herts Police Intelligence
 Gang related activity within Borough increasing
 Known County Line routes
High levels of concern amongst young people
 47% concerned around “teenagers hanging around on
streets”
 41% concerned “people using or dealing drugs”
(Broxbourne Youth Survey)

6. The Here & Now For Us
The increase in knife related incidents is county wide…
Significant increase in involvement of young people (under 18) in incidents classed as
“high harm” - both victims as and offenders

7. The Here & Now For Us
All young people must now be
considered at risk
This is a society problem that we as
schools must try and educate our
students about – we must not see this
as a school based problem

8. Need to consider what our students experience ‘Beyond The Gate’…
Duty of care to educate our students on how to keep themselves safe and the
challenges they face both within and beyond the communities they live
And so evolved
‘Beyond The Gate’

9. The HERE & NOW in Herts…….Youth Violence or Gang Culture?
Youth violence is an issue
County Lines is an issue
But - - Need to consider how these can lead to gang affiliation & recruitment
Recruitment
PEER GROUP
Small, unorganised group occupying same space with common history
Criminality not integral to identity – more social disorder
GANG
Predominately street based group of young people
Violence is integral to group identity
Undertake dirty work of organised crime
ORGANISED
CRIME GROUP
Professional involved in crime for financial gain
Not seen in community

10. Risk Factors And Indicators

11. Risk Factors: Marginalisation
MARGINALISATION
SOCIAL DISORGANISATION
CRIMINALITY
GANG AFFILIATION
PRISON / DEATH / MENTAL HEALTH
Why Youth Violence?

12. Risk Factors: Marginalisation
Consideration
Need to ensure young people not
marginalised from community and become
isolated and drawn to criminality as look for
sense of belonging and identity
Note: Need to watch “isolated quiet boys”
(Ref: Michael Adebolajo) and be aware of
parental disconnection & “cultural deviance”

13. Risk Factors: ACEs
“Adverse childhood experiences Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been
identified as one of the strongest predictors of harmful behaviours in later life
and can increase the risk of violence and attraction to gangs…..
Early life trauma can cause lasting damage to children’s development through
adolescence and into adulthood. Children that are exposed to trauma can be
overwhelmed when faced with stress and have difficulty controlling their
emotions and forming health relationships”
Hertfordshire Serious Violent Crime Intelligence Analysis (2018)

14. Risk Factors: ACEs
Examples of ACE young people may
experience include:
 Childhood abuse
 Family breakdown
 Exposure to domestic violence
 Living in a household affected by
substance misuse
 Mental illness
 Family incarceration

15. Risk Factors: ACEs
Adverse Childhood Experiences And Their Impact On Health-harming Behaviours
Adverse Childhood Experiences And Their Impact On Health-harming Behaviours (Bellis, Hughes, Ashton & Ford 2016)
“The wear and tear on
the body" (McEwen &
Stellar, 1993)

16. Risk Factors: ACEs
Can cause lasting damage to children’s
development through adolescence (&
into adulthood)
With Herts –
 at least 4 in 10 adults (44%) in
Hertfordshire have experienced one
or more ACEs
 approximately 1 in 10 adults (9%)
having experienced four or more ACEs
Adults with 4 or more ACEs were 10
times more likely to have been a
perpetrator of violence and 8 times
more likely to have been a victim of
violence

17. Risk Factors: ACEs
Hertfordshire Serious Violent Crime Intelligence Analysis – September 2018
Estimated prevalence of ACEs in Hertfordshire

18. Risk Factors: ACEs
Consideration:
Which students could
this be impacting on?

19. Risk Factors: Father Deficit
“Father Deficit centres on the psychological impact on individuals
whose father’s absence leads to an unfulfilled need. This need when
not addressed or confronted leads to those affected to seek solace in
gangs, substance misuse, depression, anger etc”
(Pinkney & Soni 2017)

20. Risk Factors: Father Deficit
Males:
Yr8/9 behaviour changes to become rude,
chaotic, anti- social, aggressive
Often reflective of what seen & observed –
mirroring behaviours
Females:
More resilient
Manifest much later
Often seen through sexually risky
behaviours

21. Risk Factors: Father Deficit
Consideration:
Which young people does this affect?

22. Risk Factors: Vulnerability
Those involved in recruiting known to seek out
vulnerable young people:
 Prior experience of neglect, physical and / or
sexual abuse
 Lack of a safe / stable home environment
 Social isolation or social difficulties
 Economic vulnerability / debt
 Homelessness or insecure accommodation
 Connections with other people involved in
gangs
 Having a physical or learning disability
 Having mental health or substance misuse
issues
 Being in care

23. Risk Factors: Vulnerability
Consideration:
Who are those most vulnerable?

24. Indicators: County Lines – Going “OT” “Cunch” or “Upside”
 Gangs establish a base in the market location;
typically using force or coercion to take over the
homes of local vulnerable adults OR high end AirBNB
 Children from urban areas are recruited by gangs to
courier drugs and money to the county location such
as Herts
 Will be based for 2/3 days in a “cuckoo”
 Often involves CCE Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
as gangs use children and vulnerable people to move
drugs and money & CSE (Child Sexual Exploitation)

25. Indicators: County Lines
There are 143 county Lines identified by the Met Police – 14 are within Hertfordshire,
involving 188 known individuals
Tony Bradshaw - Operation Mantis, Herts Police - & Frazer Smith - Team Manager, LADO & CPSLO

26. Indicators: County Lines
Considerations
Need monitor school attendance and
know whereabouts of young people
Need monitor particularly the most
vulnerable – learning difficulty or
emotional vulnerability
Need to avoid “teenage affluenza”
(The inability to understand the consequences of
one's actions because of financial privilege)
Listen for language - values “9 bars”
(“bar” = gram of heroin)

27. Indicators: ‘Burner’ Phones
 Cheap or older mobile phone
 Usually pay-as-you-go
 Used to communicate between gang
members or client & runner (usually
young person)
 Difficult to monitor & trace – little /
no ‘footprint’

28. Indicators: ‘Burner’ Phones
Consideration:
Be alert for a second mobile, or
older phone models

29. Indicators: Drug Use
Cultural glamorisation – social media &
imagery
Peer pressure
Provides status & validation
Result of sudden influx of money
Debt

30. Indicators: Designer Clothes
Cultural glamorisation – social media &
imagery
Peer pressure
Provides status & validation
Result of sudden influx of money
Debt
- Need for instant gratification -

31. Indicators: Drug Use & Designer Clothes
Consideration
Be alert to potential drug use and appearance of
new designer clothes, trainers or accessories

32. Indicators: Drill Music & Social Media
Warning – contains explicit &
racial language
 Used by gangs to communicate
and make threats to individuals /
groups
 Violent, racial, sexual undertones
 Promotes drug use, weapons,
sexual exploitation
 Readily available on social media
and music sharing channels
 Glamorizes violence & gang life to
YP

33. Indicators: Drill Music

34. Indicators: Drill Music & Social Media

35. Indicators: Drill Music & Social Media
Consideration
Need to educate young people on the reality of gang
life and a develop counter narrative to social media
portrayal

36. Indicators: Gang Slang
Consideration
Need to understand what young
people are saying as their language /
gang slang evolves – but its
increasingly colloquial

37. Indicators: Urban Slang – some examples, but it’s ever evolving (intended stay
ahead of authorities!)

38. Indicators: Signs Of Gang Involvement or Recruitment
Signs for us to be aware of:
 Truanting / regular absences
 Known to police/youth offending service
 Poor behaviour
 Changes in their attitude e.g. becoming
withdrawn, distant, aggressive, negative
 Anxiety / stress
 Engaging in risk taking and/or anti-social
behaviours
 Promiscuous behaviour (girls)
 Signs of trauma (see next)
 Having more than one mobile phone

39. Indicators: Signs Of Gang Involvement or Recruitment
 Changes in their friendship groups
 Being affiliated to other young people that are
high profile or involved in gangs
 Unexplained physical injuries e.g. fighting related
bruises, marks or cuts
 Hand gestures (throwing up gang signs)
 Having unexplained large sums of money and/or
expensive items
 Tag names/post codes written on their belongings
e.g. school books, worksheets etc. Other young
people may also refer to them by a certain
tag/street name
 Listening to gang related music

40. Indicators: Signs Of Gang Involvement or Recruitment
Consideration
Be aware of any signs of involvement

41. Our Response

42. Our Response
Home Office
commissioned
evidence-based review
of intervention
programmes designed
to prevent gang
involvement, youth
violence or other
associated problems
such as youth crime
and aggression
Hertfordshire Serious Violent Crime Intelligence Analysis (2018)

43. Our Response
Our consideration: Schools are
key to early identification &
intervention
Our challenge: Developing
‘effective’ early intervention &
multi agency response

44. Our Response - Foundations
 Understanding the causes not punishing the
responses
 Need to “stay in lane” with multi agency
support
 Improve knowledge & training around
issues
 Early identification & implementation of
intervention programmes
 Further develop supportive & trusting
relationships & interaction between
students, school, community & police

45. Awareness
Warnings
Understanding
Acceptance
Identification
‘Connecting The Dots’
Multi agency engagement
Development
A graduated response
A community response
Implementation
Universal – Targeted – Specialist
Our Response – A School Based Model

46. Awareness - Early Warnings
 Increasing number of “victims” – predominately
street robbery phones & bikes
 Weekly reports of threatening / intimidation
behaviour within local community
 Heightened anxiety from some parents / carers
 Unsubstantiated concerns about involvement of
some in “gang” related activity
Significant uplift in reported crime
 114% increase in robbery within Borough. 145%
increase on our doorstep – predominantly youth on
youth
 Increased incidents within local community of drug
use and distribution; knife seizures; incidents of
violence; CSE

47. Awareness – Understanding & Acceptance
 Early development of an understanding
of the issues through staff training &
networking
 Acceptance of the issues within our
community
 Awareness of potential impacts –
community perception
 Identification of established good
practice Need to look beyond education

48. Identification
Academic research & evidence identifies 5 shared risk factors for youth violence & gang
involvement:
Hertfordshire Serious Violent Crime Intelligence Analysis (2018)

49. Identification “Connecting The Dots…”
 Using staff as our best resource to identify ‘at risk’ students based on relevant academic
research & experience from professionals working in this area
Risk Factors
 ACE exposure
 Communities
 Family links
 Social links
 Poor attendance
 Father deficit
 SEN / vulnerable
 CSE / safeguarding incidents
 Exclusions
 Known involvement with authorities
Warnings
 Changes in any of risk factors
 Possession more than 1 mobile
 Behavioural changes – Yr 9 & 11
 Unexplained absences
 Sudden possession of “designer”
clothing or trainers
 Marginalisation
 Cultural deviance
 Language, music & social media
 Multi agency intelligence

50. Development & Implementation - A Graduated Response
 Our whole school ‘climate’
 Awareness & enrichment opportunities
 Safeguarding Through The Curriculum - review of curriculum
to raise awareness of how to reduce risk factors
 Monitoring attendance & disengagement – disclosure
through behaviour
 Raising of aspiration & developing careers programmes
 Regular police drop ins & activities (e.g. bike marking;
community patrols; teacher ‘ride along’)
 Introduction of Search Policy & Guidance to safeguard
community
 Parent / carer event(s) to raise awareness of issues
Universal
Targeted
Specialist

51. Development & Implementation - A Graduated Response
 Development of group interventions e.g drugs awareness;
healthy relationships; staying safe; raising aspiration
 Collaboration to offer diversionary activities & specialist
interventions e.g.
 ‘Sporting Chance’ – YC Herts & Herts Sports Partnership -
boxing & basketball provisions
 ‘Tracks’ Programme – YC Herts - builds resilience,
develops positive choices & community engagement
 ‘Choose Life Program’ - Herts Fire & Rescue Service –
develops life skills
Universal
Targeted
Specialist

52. Development & Implementation - A Graduated Response
 Development & implementation of Aspire Beyond
Programme to “inspire, motivate and encourage young
people to fulfil their potential” through:
 Ensuring best & most relevant information to keep young
people safe, informed & able make positive choices
 Building resilience to withstand pressures of wanting to
feel accepted
 Developing the counter narrative to todays glamorised &
desensitised culture
 Providing positive career exposure to incentivise,
motivate & inspire
Universal
Targeted
Specialist

53. Evidencing Impact
Internal:
 Engagement headlines
 Questionnaires
 Case studies
 Soft impact – Radar Graphs
 Exclusion data
 (Ofsted)
Community:
 Crime data
 Borough Council & other
organisation data
 Community perception surveys

54. Further Developments
 Development of information sharing protocols &
referral pathways to support multi agency work
 Further development of ACE (Adverse Childhood
Experience) understanding and impact
 Development of ‘Beyond The Gate’ model, practice and
evidencing as a school based safeguarding tool
 Extension of work to include primary outreach
opportunities & further agencies such within health,
housing, youth justice, community & youth groups

55. “Despite the importance of schools, due to the
fragmented nature of the education system, there is
no guaranteed standard across schools...in terms of
access to community based services, internal
training for school staff or processes for referrals”
Quote used with permission of Samantha Jury-Dada
“Girls, Gangs & Their Abusive Relationships” April 2019
@SJuryDada #GirlsAndGangs

56. Steve Warner – DHT St Mary’s High School
steve.warner@st-maryshigh.herts.sch.uk
@swarnersmhs #beyondthegate