Supplemental Information files for: YOT Talk: Examining the communicative influences on children’s engagement with youth justice assessment processes

Supplemental Information files for: YOT Talk: Examining the communicative influences on children’s engagement with youth justice assessment processesThis article presents an evidence-based analysis of the communicative influences on children’s engagement in the Youth Justice System of England and Wales. The multidisciplinary criminologist–linguist ‘YOT Talk’ project utilized Svalberg’s (2009) dimensions of engagement (cognitive, affective, social; augmented by behavioural) to explore the enablers of, and barriers to, children’s engagement with youth justice assessment processes. A tripartite mixed methodology of observation of assessment interviews, questionnaires with children in the Youth Justice System and youth justice practitioners, and focus groups with practitioners was implemented across three Youth Offending Teams in England and Wales. Analyses synergized methods from conversation analysis and corpus linguistics. Findings inform recommendations for refocusing youth justice assessment and staff training on facilitating children’s communicative engagement (that is, enhancing enablers and removing/minimizing barriers). These findings and recommendations challenge asymmetrical (adult-centric) power dynamics during assessment interviews and challenge perceptions of children’s communicative deficits as irreconcilable barriers to effective assessment.

本篇论文基于实证分析，探讨了沟通方式对英格兰与威尔士青少年司法系统中儿童参与评估过程的影响。‘YOT Talk’跨学科犯罪学家-语言学家项目，借鉴了Svalberg（2009）提出的参与维度（认知、情感、社会；辅以行为维度），旨在探究促进与阻碍儿童参与青少年司法评估过程的因素。项目采用了英格兰与威尔士三个青少年犯罪干预小组的三元混合方法，包括评估访谈的观察、青少年司法系统儿童及实践者的问卷调查，以及实践者的焦点小组讨论。分析融合了话语分析和语料库语言学的多种方法。研究结果表明，应将青少年司法评估和员工培训的重点转向促进儿童的沟通参与（即增强有利因素，消除/最小化障碍）。这些发现和推荐挑战了评估访谈中的非对称（以成人为中心）权力动态，并挑战了将儿童的沟通缺陷视为不可调和的评估障碍的看法。