This document summarizes a presentation on risk-focused prevention of criminal development. It discusses identifying risk factors like poor parenting that can increase crime risk and implementing prevention programs. The background describes how criminology adopted risk prevention from health. One program evaluated 526 children, with 100 in a conduct problems clinic receiving parent training, child skills training, or both. Results found improved behavior for children in the parent training groups compared to the control group, with the most impact from combined parent-child training. Future research could study multi-generational family histories to better address the root causes of risky parenting.

1. Risk - Focused
Prevention
Preventing the Development of Criminal
Potential in Individuals
Susan Kirwan
FARRINGTON, D. (2009). CRIME. IN J. MILLER (ED.), 21ST CENTURY
CRIMINOLOGY: A REFERENCE HANDBOOK. (PP. 628-637). THOUSAND
OAKS: SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC.

2. Overview
This presentation will explore aspects in relation to the reality
of criminality development in human beings. It primarily
brings attention to risk-focused prevention, utilising the
reference noted under the title, throughout the presentation. It
will provide background research into this topic and the aims of
the research.
It will also describe methods used in a particular program that
was carried out and will also provide results that were in
relation to it. An opportunity for discussion of the main
findings of results is included.
Future extensions or improvements in this research will be
looked at, as well as an opportunity for further discussion and
questions in relation to this presentation.

3. Background to Research
 Risk focused prevention is an approached used by Criminal
Justice Systems and Law Enforcement Agencies. It
identifies risk factors that may contribute to the propensity
for crime and includes finding measures to counteract them.
David Farrington (2009)
 Criminology adopted this approach from the Health Sector.
For example, identifying risk to heart attack, such as,
smoking, to many fats in the diet, not enough exercise, then
introducing a regime that would result in eradicating and/or
minimising these risks altogether. David Farrington (2009)
 Risks factors towards crime development that were
identified in this research in a family environment include:
 poor parental supervision,
 harsh or erratic parental discipline,

4. Background to Research….cont
 parents failure to use punishment consistently,
 not setting boundaries, and
 failure to use rules promptly.
 To address these behaviours, this research looked at
programs that were implemented by various authorities.
 The presentation will focus on Webster-Stratton and Mary
Hammond (1997) whom implemented a parent training
program which consisted of evaluating 526 children who
100 of those were referred to a clinic for conduct problems.

5. Aims of the Research
 The aim of this research was to briefly address risk preventive
measures after identifying risk factors through observation of
targeted groups with the specific aim to then apply preventive
measures.
 The research provided evaluations carried out by numerous
people whom implemented parental training tools, gaining
empirical evidence in relation to the effectiveness of the
programs.
 These measures include introducing programs targeted to child
rearing behaviours of parents with an aim to notice and to
minimise any potential influences that lead to crime related
activity.
 Carolyn Webster-Stratton and Mary Hammond referenced in
the research article applied methods, evaluations and
implementations of a program which will now be addressed.

6. Methods Used
 526 children were evaluated of which 426 were 4 years old.
 On a separate occasion and used as a comparative study to the
study mentioned above, 100 children (aged 5) were referred to a
clinic for conduct problems.
 The children and parents were randomly assigned to an
experimental group that received parent training or to a control
group that did not.
 The experimental mothers met in groups every week for 8-9
weeks, watched video tapes showing parental skills and
participated in group discussions.
 Topics in the video tapes and discussions include helping your
child learn, using praise, effective setting of limits and handling
misbehaviour.
 Parent training involved weekly meetings for 22-24 weeks between
parents and therapists.

7. Methods Used…cont
 The evaluation that involved the 100 children, parents and
children were assigned randomly to receive parent training,
receive child skills training, receive both parent and child
skills training or to be in a control group.
 The skills training aimed for pro social behaviour through
interpersonal skills using video modelling. The parent
training was meeting between the parent and the therapist
for 22-24 weeks.

8. Main Results
 In all three parental experimental conditions, reports and home
observations made by the parents showed that all children
behaviour improved and had fewer behavioural problems where
as in the control group there was no improvement, both in the
immediate present and 1 year follow up.
 It was found the difference in the three experimental conditions
was quite small in terms of outcomes of behavioural patterns.
 The most highest improvements and important in child
behaviour was that of the parent and child experimental
conditions.
 The article purports that it is generally true that parent and child
in a program together generally produces the most desirable
outcomes.

9. Discussion of Results
 The main finding is improvement in behaviour due to the
implementation of parental and child training that aided in this
result. It demonstrates the effectiveness of direct support one
receives.
 When this support ends though, where does that leave the
family? For example, it shows that in a control group
environment where no support is given, no improvement in
behaviour took place.
 A long term approach of ongoing support, bringing a sense of
accountability for the families as well as ongoing training of
achieving positive outcomes for parents and their children
would be beneficial. This possibly would eventually become
ingrained, working toward independent implementation by the
parents themselves resulting in positives for all involved.

10. Future Extensions or
Improvements in the Research
 Future extensions or improvements in the research: For
practitioners to study parents or caregivers position in terms
of their own individual psychology, their family
backgrounds, perhaps extending to two or three generations
in history.
 This may provide an overall picture on why it is parents
raise their children as they do, to get to the root of the cause
as deep as possible. For it to be a integral part of any
program or system dealing with providing service of support
to people, including justice systems, community supports
group/ health sector etc.

11. Discussion Questions for the
Tutorial Group
Why is it that individuals are drawn to crime?
We were all born as helpless babies, all started off the
same. Is it inherent? Is it environmental, is at home, at
school, being amongst the community? Is it all these
factors combined?
Why is it that a family of three kids has one child
committing acts of crime and not the others, especially
being brought up in a similar environment throughout their
childhood and teenage years?

12. Discussion
Questions for the Tutorial
Group…cont
 What implications my emerge to risk focused prevention of
crime in relation to the damage already done or instilled in a
child, older child, teenager, adult before those counteracting
measures are applied?
 Does it show an importance to implement preventative
measures as early as possible in not only a child’s
development but in that of it’s parent as well?
 Otherwise it succumb to the environment in which it is in,
including an environment where risks factors are apparent in
association to the possibility of crime in later life. Thoughts?

13. Bibliography
 Farrington, D. (2009). CRIME. In J. Miller (Ed.), 21st
Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook. (pp. 628-
637). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.
 Carolyn Webster-Stratton (2000)
 Carolyn Webster-Stratton and Mary Hammond (1997)