Abstract
"Socially Excluded, Disadvantaged, Exposed to Trauma" by Dr Diane Harrison
Research into the subject of probation is often limited to professional perspectives and it rarely portrays the views of the service user. Harrison (2020) conducted a qualitative study looking at access to mental health services, education and vocational training by those supervised by probation. The study conducted twelve in-depth semi-structured interviews with young men aged 18-25 who were being supervised by the probation service. Findings from this study pro-vided an insight into the participants’ lives and their experiences of accessing these services. Additionally, the study recognised a high prevalence of childhood trauma; 90% of the par-ticipants had experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences. Excerpts/qualitative data from the Harrison (2020) study, demonstrate the range of adverse childhood experiences that those who become involved with the criminal justice system have been exposed to. Further-more, discrimination and ostracisation are discussed to highlight the impact of rejection and social exclusion that these young men experience. In this article, I advocate for these young men not to be labelled and discriminated against but to be treated as individuals who are sur-vivors of trauma and who can be supported to move forward toward positive life outcomes, by ensuring appropriate services are provided.
"Socially Excluded, Disadvantaged (...)" by Dr Diane Harrison Vol 1 Issue 1
Research into the subject of probation is often limited to professional perspectives and it rarely portrays the views of the service user. Harrison (2020) conducted a qualitative study looking at access to mental health services, education and vocational training by those supervised by probation. The study conducted twelve in-depth semi-structured interviews with young men aged 18-25 who were being supervised by the probation service. Findings from this study pro-vided an insight into the participants’ lives and their experiences of accessing these services. Additionally, the study recognised a high prevalence of childhood trauma; 90% of the par-ticipants had experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences. Excerpts/qualitative data from the Harrison (2020) study, demonstrate the range of adverse childhood experiences that those who become involved with the criminal justice system have been exposed to. Further-more, discrimination and ostracisation are discussed to highlight the impact of rejection and social exclusion that these young men experience. In this article, I advocate for these young men not to be labelled and discriminated against but to be treated as individuals who are sur-vivors of trauma and who can be supported to move forward toward positive life outcomes, by ensuring appropriate services are provided.