Childhood offending and anti-social behaviour in the West Midlands: A qualitative study of language, literacy and SEND from police and teacher perspectives

Existing literature shows a strong link between antisocial behaviour and educational disadvantage, particularly among those with special educational needs (SEND) as well as those with poor language skills and communication difficulties. Research has identified links between those with social emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, poor language and literacy proficiency, and emerging offending behaviours. Early identification, multi-agency working and preventative intervention within educational settings are widely recognised as critical.

There does, however, remain limited contextual research when exploring how language and social interaction difficulties relate to patterns of anti-social behaviour and how it can escalate to offending behaviours.

To address this gap, this qualitative study examined specific educational and policing perspectives on childhood offending within the West-Midlands. Fifteen participants contributed to the study, including five teaching staff from primary and secondary settings, both in mainstream and special education, and eight police officers and staff working in the local communities responding to questionnaires; a further two participants, one head teacher and police community support officer (PCSO), contributed to semi-structured interviews following the analysis of questionnaire data. Adopting an interpretivist approach, two different questionnaires were used, one for police, another for teachers, with questions formulated to make specific reference to their professional perspectives. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with a headteacher of a specialist provision and a police community support officer whose primary role was to liaise with school settings and support with instances of offending or anti-social behaviour. Data was analysed using a reflective, thematic analysis model through open coding. Analysis was guided by two research questions focusing on (1) relationships between language, literacy and offending behaviour, and (2) the influence of social interaction and emotional regulation difficulties among children with SEND.

Whilst the findings largely align with the key literature, some suggest that the relationship between language, literacy and behaviour is not always consistent and can vary depending on the context. SEND was strongly linked to offending behaviour but not necessarily as a direct causational factor. Analysis of literacy and language in relation to offending behaviour highlighted social communication as a key deficit and revealed complexities requiring further research. Specific child-centred interventions are needed to develop positive, independent interactions without the need for mediation. A review of training is needed across all disciplines so that it is consistent and effective to meet the needs of these children. This alongside increasing collaborative efforts among professionals is pivotal.