NCJ Number
160796
Date Published
1995
Length
72 pages
Annotation
The meaning of truancy and the roles and responsibilities of the police and other agencies in their individual and collaborative efforts to address the problem of truancy in England and Wales were studied by means of a questionnaire survey of 1,106 youths ages 16-18, surveys of police and school personnel, site visits to local collaborative initiatives, and workshops involving practitioners and policymakers.
Abstract
The youths were from colleges, career centers, workplaces, and correctional institutions. Almost three- fifths were males and two-fifths were females. Most were in sixth form and tertiary colleges. Results revealed that truancy is not an isolated problem that affects only a small number of children in problem schools. It is a complex subject that all practitioners should understand. Different agencies have different roles and responsibilities toward children who truant. Most truants choose to remain at home or visit parks and commercial establishments rather than committing crimes. Most return to school after a short absence. However, all agencies with a duty of care toward children should be particularly concerned about the small number of juvenile recidivists who have a history of persistent truancy starting as young as age 9 and who commit a large amount of crime during school hours. Truants are also potential victims of others and are unable to seek support form those who would normally care for them. Pedophiles seek out such children. Community-based partnership approaches are effective in reducing opportunities for children to truant and ensuring a coordinated response. Each agency must be aware of individual roles, responsibilities, and necessary levels of commitment and must maintain open information channels. Recommendations; figures; tables; footnotes; and appended study instrument, program description, and truancy referral form