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Glossary of terms in the youth offending industry

A List of commonly used terms & acronyms in the youth justice world and an exploration of Referral Order contract contents for Panel Members and other volunteers.

ABC – Acceptable Behaviour Contract (See ASBO)
Absolute discharge
Acknowledgment of wrong-doing / Apology. An acknowledgement of wrong-doing should be seen as the essential building block of a Referral Order contract. It is the basis from which a young person can begin to demonstrate that their actions have affected other specific people or the wider community, and that they are willing to begin the process of putting that right. Without this acknowledgement it would be very difficult for a panel to negotiate a contract that contains the two elements of reparation and intervention to prevent further re-offending. In some circumstances it may be possible to work without a formal apology – especially where there is no specific victim, or where the panel understand that an apology may unnecessarily exacerbate a difficult situation or relationship. There are also circumstances where the victim has declined to have anything to do with the Referral Order process and, accordingly, the panel should not be seeking an apology in the form of a letter to them. In such circumstances the panel may, from time to time, see value in seeking a written statement of apology – addressed to the panel - in which the young person demonstrates that they have gone through a thinking process about their actions, have developed some form of awareness of a victim’s situation, and have subsequently learned from it. This should be for the benefit of the young person, and for the community - which is represented by the panel. As such it should promote the key elements of restorative Justice – re-integration, responsibility and reparation.

Action Plan Order, an intensive, community-based programme lasting three months and can be reviewed by the court after 6 weeks in order to check the progress of the young person. The order is supervised by Youth Offending Team. The programme, developed by the YOT, is specifically tailored to the risks and needs of the young person. It can include repairing the harm done to the victim of the offence or the community, education and training, attending an Attendance Centre or a variety of other programmes to address a young person's offending behaviour.
Age of criminal responsibility Children aged 10 and upwards are deemed old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong and can be dealt with by the criminal justice system in England.
Alcohol Awareness Training where a young person’s offending behaviour is connected with the use of alcohol, or their use of alcohol appears problematic.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Anger management Where the issue is specific to the offending behaviour and there is evidence of abuse, loss or grief, anger management may be the primary focus of the work with the YOT responsible officer. In such cases the officer will likely explore with the young person the source of the anger and try to encourage the development of strategies to manage it in a manner which reduces the risk of further re-offending.
Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO)
Ashfield Young Offender’s Institution
Asperger's Disorder
Autism