How effective are music interventions in the criminal youth justice sector? Community music making and its potential for community and social transformation: A pilot study

Abstract

Community music offers organic opportunities for both Authentic and SituationLearning, as well as Process-directed education. It is evident that in many community music projects participants are empowered to discover their own learning paths through the creative process of music-making. However, the participatory nature of community music making also seems to encourage participants to share in each other's experiences that can often lead to an understanding of each other and themselves. The type of music workshops we were particularly interested in examining mainly consisted of group composition through the process of learning to play in a rock band (bass, keys, guitar, vocals and drums) and electronic composition using KeywOrDs music technology criminal youth justice sector group composition Crime-Pics II Music Map of Me Ornette D. Clennon 104the software Logic. We were interested in trying to measure the transformative effect of participating in community music sessions on young people's attitudes towards offending behaviour. Our preliminary results suggest that there seems to be a small but measurable improvement in the attitudes towards offending of the young people who had participated in the music workshops, especially in the perception of their life problems and how these problems could contribute to potential offending behaviour.

Marginalised youth, criminal justice and performing arts: young people's experiences of music-making

“…There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that participation in the arts can raise confidence and self-esteem with studies of community and educational settings reporting positive results, especially with offenders and/or those at risk (Heath & Roach, 1999;Daykin et al, 2011;Centre for Applied Theatre Research, 2003;Clennon, 2013). For example, Hirst & Robertshaw (2003) investigated the impact of the 'Otherwise Creative' project, an intervention which involved a wide range of arts activities, including music production and song writing and which targeted young people in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) with a range of emotional and behavioral difficulties.…”

“…Participants on such programmes routinely report how music-related activities help them to reflect and 'get things off their chest'. Additionally, participants on a number of projects have commented on how writing and performing music provides an escape from the hostile environment of custody and allows them to cope more readily with the everyday struggles of incarceration (Baker & Homan, 2007;Cox & Gelsthorpe, 2008;Maruna 2010;Mendonҫa 2010;Moller, 2011;De Viggiani et al 2010;2013). Respondents in these studies frequently stated that they left intervention sessions feeling 'lifted' or 'happier' with others stating that they came away feeling 'relaxed' and 'de-stressed'.…”

Musical learning and desistance from crime: the case of a ‘Good Vibrations’ Javanese gamelan project with young offenders

“…In recent years, these two have combined and desistance research has begun to focus on how effective interventions support the desistance process. Within this, a body of research is emerging that focuses specifically on arts interventions and their potential for supporting transformative processes (Clennon 2013;McNeill et al 2011;Tett et al 2012). Acknowledging the role that learning plays in identity change, McNeill et al (2011) draw together the research on arts interventions within criminal justice settings and desistance theory to present six central themes within desistance theory (with examples) that are key to the effectiveness of interventions in their contribution to the desistance process.…”

Participation in community arts: lessons from the inner-city

“…We also used the 'Map of Me' graffiti chart (Clennon 2013) before and after the intervention in order to gain an insight into the current life issues of the respondents. The graffiti chart provided a contextual background for the responses to the AHEQ.…”