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Crime prevention through social development

Crime prevention through social development (CPSD) is a term used by social scientists and public policy makers. It describes an approach to crime prevention that deals with socio-economic risk factors that cause crime.

Examples of risk factors include:

• Poor or inadequate parenting, parental criminality, and parental substance abuse
• Personality and behavioural factors, such as hyperactivity and aggression
• Cognitive deficits, such as poor problem-solving skills and a lack of self-control, critical reasoning and judgment
• Relationships with people who follow a delinquent or criminal lifestyle
• School-related factors, such as low marks, absenteeism, as well as deficient school environments and exclusionary policies

These risk factors place people -- especially children and youth -- at high risk of becoming criminals, victims or both.

The traditional approach to crime prevention is to improve security systems and deploy more police. This is a necessary response to crime, but provides short-term impact on crime levels. Unfortunately, the underlying factors that cause crime remain a problem.

Research-based

CPSD is backed by the results of research studies conducted over a long period of time (longitudinal studies) in various parts of the world, including New Zealand, England, the United States, Canada and Sweden. Longitudinal studies have provided solid evidence on the ways in which social development programs for “at-risk” individuals, families and communities “level the playing field” and help to reduce criminality. In Canada, studies such as the Montreal Longitudinal Experimental Study, conducted in the mid-1980s and the Early Years Study, published in 1999 in Ontario have brought insight into the ways social, economic and home environments affect family life and the lives of children. These studies underscore the importance of early intervention where risk factors are present.

Long-term solution

CPSD is a long-term solution. The goal of the CPSD approach is to develop healthy and responsible citizens. Concrete examples of the CPSD approach in action, include:

• Healthy Families
  This initiative involved home visitation programs in five communities across Canada. The home visits were conducted by family support workers. They often incorporated the modeling of good parenting practices. The aim was to reduce the multiple risk factors associated with anti-social behaviour, delinquency and criminal behaviour, including child abuse and neglect, poor parenting skills, exposure to domestic violence and parental criminality.
• Project Early Intervention
  This four-year project focused on high-risk children and youth aged 6-12 years living in a high-needs social housing neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario. The community was largely made up of recent Arabic and Somalian immigrants. The project offered a life skills development program, homework club, sports and recreation opportunities and ongoing support to increase participants’ resiliency to risk factors related to criminal behaviour.