Society 'failing' youths with antisocial behaviour

The Commissioner for Children, Sonia Camilleri, feels society is failing young people with antisocial behaviour and it is crucial for all professionals concerned to come together to set up a specialised programme to steer them clear from a life of crime.

"We have hundreds of young people in schools who are at risk of a 'criminal career' and we need to focus more energy and resources on these problems," she pointed out.

Mrs Camilleri cited as an example the lack of counselling services in schools and the great need for more psychologists and family therapists to guide these young people.

Another point she raised was that she had been informed that while there was a psychiatrist at Yours - the correctional facility for young people - there was no regular psychologist and all 19 inmates were on medication.

"We come across cases of a four-year-old who is taught to steal and if he fails to do so his brother would beat his mother. This is a little character out of Oliver Twist. How can young people such as this boy be rehabilitated without a psychologist to help him?" she asked.

"We have to sit down together to draw up a professional programme; it is an urgent matter but it cannot be hurried and has to be well thought out. We have to implement such a programme if we are to avoid facing an increase of young criminals," she said.

Mrs Camilleri was speaking to The Times during a half-day seminar organised by Appogg on Reaching Out to Young People with Antisocial Behaviour.

During the seminar, psychologist Miriam Geraldi gave a presentation on a qualitative study on young offenders which she conducted in 2002.

For her study, Ms Geraldi conducted interviews with three professionals working with young offenders as well as six young offenders.

This study, which was yesterday presented to various professionals in the field, forms part of a larger study on Children in Need: Their Needs and Services by Appogg in a bid to further develop social services in Malta.

During her presentation, Ms Geraldi said that most young offenders openly exhibited antipathy towards the police and the authorities.

It was quite a depressing situation for young offenders stuck within the prison's four walls and it was important for more professionals to cater for the prison population, she said.

Ms Geraldi said research showed that unfortunately recidivism among young offenders was as high as 96 per cent and so equipping them with skills to start controlling their anger and guide them on how to solve their problems was crucial.

She said that at the time of her research there was no formal assessment to see if the young people were fit or not to return to the community or how well they could cope. "Once out there, there was not enough resources for these people. Probation officers are few compared to the propagating caseload while society is not friendly towards those it has labelled criminals, so it is important to help them find a decent job," she said.

From the information she collated, it resulted that inmates wanted to see a swifter administration of justice because they lost hope of starting afresh when their sentence kept getting delayed.

In her recommendations, Ms Geraldi spoke of the need for a multidisciplinary approach with all professionals involved in helping out these young people.

The study was discussed at length in workshops aimed at analysing the issues which emerged and to review and recommend policy and procedures to improve the existent services and suggest effective alternatives.

Speaking at the end of the seminar, Catherine Fleri Soler, service manager of Appogg's generic and community services, said various agencies were working together in the best interest of young people with antisocial behaviour.

She said the recommendations put forward in the workshops would be considered seriously.

In her closing address, Mrs Camilleri said it was very worrying when young people turned to criminal behaviour but very positive that through such studies a major issue was being put on the national agenda.