Trauma Informed Approaches to Criminal Justice

• In Event: Breaking the Cycle: Youth Violence Prevention, Trauma-Informed Practice and Multi-Agency Strategies

Abstract

Trauma informed approaches are increasingly being recognized as a framework to understand a range of behaviours including entry into the criminal justice system. Understanding the impact of trauma across the life course is emerging as a public health priority whereby childhood trauma is associated with impaired educational achievement, limited employment opportunities and crime. Linked to this, adopting a trauma informed approach to violence and crime prevention is known to have benefits for both victims and offenders.  Within this context, research was commissioned to develop a definition and key principles for a multi-agency trauma informed approach to violence prevention.for the Humber region in the UK.

A consensus-based definition of Trauma Informed Practice for violence prevention is required to create consistency between and within different organisations, enabling a shared understanding of trauma and trauma informed practice to develop. The aim is to assist the work of the violence prevention partnership and the police to have impact where it is most needed. To:

Establish an overview of patterns of violence and victimisation that emerge in different contexts from different relationships and interactions. 

Produce through consensus a shared definition of a trauma informed approach and practice. 

In this case, the team used a mixed methodology, combining a series of focus groups and an anonymous Delphi panel of experts, to synthesise different multi-agency perspectives to formulate a consensus for a working definition that would be relevant and applicable in practice.  

Authors

• Victoria Burton, University of Hull

• Craig Barlow, Craig Barlow Consultancy & Training Ltd.