The Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities has, sine 2008, invested £156 million and has supported around 1.4 million young people across Scotland.[1] This successful initiative is set to in aiming to drive positive change from the proceeds of crime, supporting the delivery of Holyrood’s Vision for Justice in Scotland.
It was announced last week that projects that support young people at risk of being drawn into criminal activities are to receive up to £26 million over the next three years. The Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities programme aims to use money that is recovered from seized criminal assets; aiming to provide support to young people who may be at risk of become involved in offending, or crucially, antisocial behaviour.
It is encouraging that the principle of tackling the underlying cause of antisocial behaviour is at the heart of the policy agenda in the devolved Scotland. The successful projects in the next stage, 2026 to 2029, will deliver a range of activities and support for young people aged from 10 all the way to 25. Crucially, these projects will also provide access to trusted adults who young people can confide in.
Applications for funding are set to open on the 12th of June 2025.
Visiting a project based at Glasgow's Easterhouse Sports Centre, Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown said:
“CashBack for Communities is inspiring. It turns the proceeds of crime into life-changing opportunities for the thousands of young people who take part in projects across Scotland every year.
“Over the course of the next three years of the programme, we are providing £26 million to organisations to deliver diversionary and support work with children and young people. By learning new skills and boosting their confidence, it helps young people in our communities who are at risk of becoming involved in crime be diverted from that path and realise their potential.
“Since its inception more than a million young people have received support to turn their lives around, with opportunities provided into employment, education, or volunteering. CashBack's success is also testament to the work of law enforcement partners in disrupting organised crime groups – bringing them to justice and seizing their ill-gotten gains, using them to deliver a successful programme across the country.”
The Challenges Facing Young People in the UK
The role of young people both within the criminal justice system and our communities at large, is kept in question as new challenges seek to test the social fabric between young people and previous generations. With an estimated 13.4% of all people aged 16 to 24 years classed as a not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in October to December 2024. This is up from 1.3 percentage points compared with the previous year, the total number of those aged 18 to 24 classed as NEET was 907,000 up 90,000 from the previous year. [2] This is coupled with, as we know, a unfortunate reality in that young people are seen as the main perpetrators of ASB, however, there is a significant body of evidence that suggest the opposite, that young people are more likely than not to be victims of ASB than other age groups. [3] Perceptions, no matter than origin, are often just as impactful as the reality, and it is clear that this perception remains, highlighted through the high percentage of respondents in our own survey conducted by YouGov, highlighting that young people causing trouble on the streets is the biggest issue in their local area.[4]
This is compounded by the reality that young people in the Uk have higher mental health need than ever, with 1 in 6 young people in England experiencing a mental health problem in 2020. [5] Around one-third of 16–24-year-olds in the UK reported some evidence of depression or anxiety in 2017 to 2018. This is up from the previous year (26%).[6]
Young people have experienced a mental health crisis, and an economic crisis, and are now at risk of being embroiled in the underlying causes of antisocial behaviour. It is therefore welcomed that policy provisions are proposed across the UK to better engage young people in the community.
Policy Proposals and Research
Other areas of the Uk have seen other alternatives that aim to help young people and divert them from ASB and crime. Nottinghamshire police have seen incidents of ASB dropping by 11.2 per cent across their force area in the past two months, through the use of Prevention Hubs. Prevention Hubs aim to ‘channel the power of sport to build positive relationships with young people and divert them away from crime.’ The official figures highlighted 3,301 fewer record incidents of ASB across the force area during 2024 compared to 2023.[7]
Sports sessions are supported by Schools Early Intervention Officers (SEIOS), designed to channel energy into more positive outlets and providing on-to-one mentoring to young people who may be deemed at risk.
There is a large and growing body of research that is looking to highlight interventions that aim to divert young people from ASB. In 2010, for example, research from the University of Leeds, highlighted the need to a careful balance between the essentials of data collection and monitoring, and the benefits of preventative early intervention work. It also highlighted the necessity to acknowledge the risk of drawing young people deeper into the criminal justice system, highlighting the effective use for ASB intervention to serve as a diversionary measure. Otherwise therefore, there is potential for real danger that overly punitive early interventions, can attribute labels such as ‘troublemaker’ and ‘troublesome youth.’[8]
Other research, such as that from the Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights, highlights their needs when it comes to public spaces, and includes, among others, these findings:
- Antisocial behaviour (ASB) is largely attributable to boredom and the lack of purposeful opportunities, or places to hangout, which are accessible and affordable for all.
- Litter, vandalism and poorly maintained public spaces depress teenagers -even those who are responsible - but they don’t see why they should care about a place, if no one else does.
- Natural spaces are important to teenagers, as well as affordable sports and leisure facilities, interest clubs and age-appropriate play equipment.
- In the absence of good adult or peer role models, ‘cool’ is often defined by rebellious older siblings and local groups, which entrenches ASB over time.
- ASB has been exacerbated by the isolation we all experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and by a tendency for adults and peers to avoid tackling the issue since. Young people are calling for tougher enforcement of social rules to accompany improved opportunities.
- Teenagers were clear that involving them meaningfully in the design of public spaces and strategies for addressing ASB was critical to resolving all of the above.[9]
Conclusion
The challenges facing young people is greater than ever, and ASB continues to both labels, and target young people. However, despite the challenges, there are clear examples of effective and promising policy solutions, particularly from devolved countries with nimble and responsive local governments that can respond to challenges in an innovative way, the Vision for Justice in Scotland is but on example, however it should be noted that in Wales, great work is being done through the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, in order to set out a vision for cohesive communities.
We represent a large body of members from across the country, include the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. If you are a member who lies in one of these who has any suggestions for continued representation of these areas in our influencing or other work, or if you just have a general query, please contact:
Harrison Box, Policy Officer
[1] https://www.gov.scot/news/26-million-cashback-for-communities/
[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/bulletins/youngpeoplenotineducationemploymentortrainingneet/february2025#:~:text=An%20estimated%2013.4%25%20of%20all,points%20on%20the%20previous%20quarter.
[3] Berry, G. (n.d.). Young People and Anti-Social Behaviour. The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.
[4] https://www.resolveuk.org.uk/images/YouGov-24.pdf
[5] https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2020-wave-1-follow-up
[6] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/youngpeopleswellbeingintheuk/2020
[7] https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/news/nottinghamshire/news/news/2025/february/force-sees-drop-in-asb-as-prevention-hub-uses-power-of-sport-to-divert-young-people-away-from-crime/
[8] https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Research-findings-Anti-social-behaviour-interventions-with-young-people.pdf
[9] New research: Teenagers and public space. (n.d.). Together Scotland. https://www.togetherscotland.org.uk/resources-and-networks/resources-library/2023/07/new-research-teenagers-and-public-space/
