NIACRO works to reduce crime and its impact on people and communities

NIACRO’S RESPONSE TO THE NIO “HIDDEN CRIMES SECRET PAIN: A PROPOSED REGIONAL STRAGEGY FOR ADDRESSING SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN NI

1          INTRODUCTION

NIACRO, the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, is a voluntary organisation, working for 35 years to reduce crime and its impact on people and communities.  NIACRO provides services under the headings of: promoting safer communities; working with children and young people who offend; providing services to families and children of offenders; supporting offenders and ex-prisoners in the community; working with prisoners. 

NIACRO works in partnership with all the main criminal justice agencies in Northern Ireland. 

 We welcome the opportunity to respond to the NIO consultation document “Hidden Crimes Secret Pain; a proposed Regional Strategy for addressing Sexual Violence in Northern Ireland.”.

2          BACKGROUND

NIACRO has over 35 years experience in working with adult and youth offenders, prisoners’ families and local communities. Our services are available to individuals irrespective of offence type; however, we recognise the particular difficulties associated with working and supporting individuals who have sexual offences and have made every effort to develop appropriate links with relevant statutory agencies as a contribution towards a multi agency risk management process.

Our experience in working with families of offenders clearly demonstrates the far reaching impact and consequences of actions by the offender on the wider family unit including breakdown of family networks, stigmatisation and displacement.  This is of particular concern when the offence is a sexual offence often resulting in significant pressures by local communities and the media.

The points raised in this document are given from an evidence based model of service delivery. As such NIACRO will focus its response on questions raised that are most relevant to user based services.

As a member of NOTA (NI) NIACRO contributed to its response on this particular consultation document. The NOTA document provides a comprehensive response to the key issues raised and NIACRO fully endorse these findings.

In general, NIACRO is supportive of many of the points raised in the document and believe that recognising sexual violence as such a major issue for our society can lead to a more proactive response from government and more importantly an appropriate understanding from the wider community. NIACRO particularly welcomes the public health approach to the prevention of sexual abuse and the increased emphasis on developing Victim support services.

NIACRO wish to make comment on eight areas of concern. These are addressed within the consultation headings.

2.         Response to Consultation

2.1       Prevention

2.1.1Education/ Raising Awareness

NIACRO recognises that sexual abuse is a highly emotive and sensitive problem therefore any public health initiative must take this as a crucial starting point. However the need to better inform public opinion is essential given the recurrent and persistent myths and stereotypical portrayal of sexual crime and offenders particularly across the media.

The tendency to focus attention on sexual abuse and sexual crime above other societal problems is at best unhelpful and at worse has exacerbated the issue of public fear and ignorance. Accuracy of information is essential.

NIACRO believes that there is a need for a persistent, informed and ongoing public health approach to the realities of sexual violence. Serious consideration should be given to adapting models previously used to  effectively educate the public on issues such as drink driving and domestic violence. Such models are based on commitment and leadership from government and driven by cross departmental, cross sectoral working arrangements.

In addition to ensuring accuracy of information to the public the method(s) of communicating such is important. NIACRO is familiar with a range of organisations and multi-agency structures that are currently well placed to lead or support a public health approach to adults and advocate that these should be developed rather than seek to create new/ additional structures. Such agencies include:

• The Health Promotion Agency
• Stop It Now
• Nexus Institute
• NSPCC
• Northern Ireland Sex Offender Strategic Management Committee;
• NIACRO

The need for a public health approach targeted at children and young people is equally important. Some of the agencies listed are also well placed to support such an initiative. However the lead agency must be the Department of Education, including Youth Services in order to ensure that this will be incorporated within the Personal Development curriculum.

2.1.2Role of Government

NIACRO views as imperative government lead and direction in this area. The new Executive should give clear messages to dispel myths and to support changes in social attitudes once the public health strategy has been agreed and the key messages clarified. However much work is required with Executive members to enable them to fulfil this role.

NIACRO has recently completed a range of interviews with local political party representatives as part of a series of discussions on planning for devolved criminal justice.  The majority of those interviewed acknowledged that the issue of (supervision of) sex offenders in the community was difficult and sensitive; that the public had a “real lack of understanding about (different) levels of risk, that very often the public also has an exaggerated view of risk posed.”.  Ultimately many found it difficult to be specific about what should be done.

Therefore if government is to promote appropriately on an innovative public health strategy they themselves must be better informed on the debate.

In addition, government commitment to a public health strategy must be based on a long term core funding strategy. This is crucial in ensuring consolidation of key messages and adapting any future strategies following comprehensive evaluation of impact.

Funding strategies should also take account of quality assurance. Linking public funds to standards of practice auditing through DHSSPS Accreditation scheme when it is launched will ensure organisations are working to acceptable standards. 

Government should also make it a requirement that schools demonstrate a consistent approach to sex education, including values throughout Northern Ireland.

2.1.3Role of the Media

From experience NIACRO recognises that one of the greatest challenges in working with sex offenders derives from media. It is therefore imperative that any attempt to successfully raise awareness or inform/educate the public and consequently change attitudes to sexual offending involves media representation and participation.

This could be done by the establishment of a proactive media engagement strategy within the existing framework of NISOMC. Issues that need to be addressed include:

?Increasing awareness of how their stories/programmes influence beliefs and attitudes that support sexual violence.

?Promoting greater sensitivity to victim issues and to the families of offenders.

?Improved education about the realities of sexual violence and how to combat it.

?Arguing for more balanced, in-depth programmes as part of a normal scheduling rather than as a reaction to the latest high profile cases.

2.1.4Promoting Personal Safety and Protection

Having in place appropriate, relevant and up to date legislation Is a key factor in ensuring public protection and increasing confidence in the criminal justice system.

The recent public consultation on “Reforming the Law on Sexual Offences in Northern Ireland” is a welcome move in reforming outdated legislation. As a general principle NIACRO accepts the need for stricter sentences for serious crimes against the person but would continue to advocate that the use of custodial sentences should reflect the seriousness of the offence and that more diversionary/treatment models should be applied for less serious offences and particularly for young people.  Opportunities to adopt more restorative models of working will increasingly allow the voice of the victim to be heard and acknowledged. However we are disappointed with the apparent lack of progress in this regard.

Whilst acknowledging that the introduction of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006) will go some way in preventing those who are barred from working with children and vulnerable adults it is imperative that mechanisms for sharing of information are developed and utilised to further reduce inappropriate access.

The NSPCC Young Witness programme is designed to support young people involved in the court process. However the N.I. Criminal Justice Inspection (2006) identified that the time delay (of up to two years) in waiting for a case to come to trial has significant negative impact and must therefore be addressed.

As part of an ongoing public awareness and education model NIACRO identifies the need for appropriate resource materials to be introduced and designed to meet the differing needs of children/young people and adults. Promotion should be targeted. For children and young people this should occur within schools and the extensive range of other youth settings to ensure access and could include the development of trained Peer Educators. For adults this could be developed through e.g. parenting support programmes (in and beyond prisons) and parent /teacher associations.

2.1.5Key Messages:

NIACRO views the Stop It Now model as a useful starting point in developing a public health approach to sexual violence. This model enables perpetrators or potential perpetrators and/or family members to come forward to disclose concerns or behaviours and seek help. At present there is little incentive for individuals to come forward to disclose offences or potential to offend or indeed for family members to seek help and advice in cases where young people are displaying sexually harmful behaviour primarily due to fear of labelling/stigmatisation. The experience of Stop It Now in UK and Northern Ireland demonstrates the effectiveness of a pro-active approach. NIACRO has had recent positive experience of direct cooperation and co-working with Stop It Now in support of local rural community groups seeking advice and information regarding resettlement of sex offenders within their communities.

2.2     Protection & Justice

2.2.1As previously stated NIACRO welcomes the proposals to modernise the law on sexual offences in Northern Ireland and the emphasis on victims contained within such proposals.

2.2.2Priorities

NIACRO identifies the following as priorities when addressing sexual violence. It should be noted that this list is informed by NIACRO service delivery experience.

?Equality of access to support services across Northern Ireland. This includes specialist services for victims and behavioural programmes for perpetrators whether adjudicated or non adjudicated.

?Reduction in long delays within process from disclosure through to sentencing.

?Ensuring High Risk cases and those of serious assault are prioritised within the process.

?Provision of appropriate accommodation for offenders at bail or post release stage.

?Appropriate support to offenders/families/victims/communities to ensure successful resettlement post release.

?Core funding on long term basis for all agencies providing support/treatment services.

?Consistent recording/monitoring/information sharing processes across criminal justice organisations.

2.3 Support

2.3.1Developing/Coordinating Services

NIACRO views the development of a consistent support service for staff working with victims and offenders as extremely important for the future. This should be developed through agency capacity building and multi agency working and coordinated by the NIO.

Improvements are needed to ensure coordination between departments and agencies working with offenders and victims. NIACRO would seek more open and transparent multi agency working arrangements to ensure full inclusion of relevant Voluntary organisations. Opportunities for such could be realised through joint planning of services; agreed joint protocols; joint training & development opportunities.

The question of need for a specialist 24 hour sexual violence helpline across Northern Ireland is worthy of consideration within the framework of a public health strategy. NIACRO believes that this should be piloted to ascertain need for and effectiveness of service.

2.3.2Training

NIACRO views the discussion on multi agency training as timely and appropriate given the developments within Skills for Justice NI (&UK). There is scope to develop current multi agency arrangements in relation to child protection/criminal justice and victims/survivors / witnesses – the outcome of improved practices should ensure a better informed workforce across all criminal justice agencies; more consistent practice; cost effectiveness.

In addition NIACRO would welcome training about the nature, incidence, impact and response to sexual violence being incorporated into pre-qualification training for relevant health professional but would suggest that this should also be the case for all criminal justice professionals, teachers and youth workers.

3.         Conclusion

NIACRO welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation document and to have had the opportunity to contribute to the response made by NOTA.

NIACRO is particularly supportive of the public health approach in attempting to raise awareness of the very difficult and emotive issue of sexual violence in Northern Ireland. We would welcome further discussion and involvement in future developments.

April 2007