Labelled as ‘risky’ in an era of control: How young people experience and respond to the stigma of criminalized identities

Abstract

The construction and labelling of groups of young people as ‘risky’ triggers a multifaceted and dynamic social process of stigma that frequently results in reduced life chances and limited opportunities for self-development. Drawing on case-study data from four European countries, this article focuses on the ways in which stigma is reproduced through interactions and interventions that label young people. Our analysis explores how young people experience and understand stigma, and how they respond to it. Framed within a theoretical understanding of stigma as a form of power, we examine its components and cyclical process, its role in shaping policies of social control, and its consequences for groups of ‘risky’ young people. Our analysis builds upon and develops Link and Phelan’s (2001) reconceptualization of stigma to include reference to young people’s reactions and responses: alienation and marginalization; anger and resistance; empathy and generativity. We argue that stigma acts primarily as an inhibitor of young people’s engagement in wider society, serving to further reduce access to beneficial opportunities. However, some young people are able to resist the label, and, for them, resistance can become generative and enabling.

Help or hindrance? Rethinking interventions with ‘troubled youth’

“…9 Whether those provisions are voluntary or statutory, organised or casual, they can have unintended consequences serving to further negative perceptions of these young people as 'problematic'. One result of this can be to increase stigmatisation and, relatedly, encourage increasing disengagement and marginalisation (Deakin et al, 2020). This is not unique to any one sector.…”

“…This feeds into a stigmatising and criminalising identity for those young people (cf. Taylor and Fitzpatrick, 2006; Deakin et al , 2020), regardless of any history of criminal offending.…”

“…Her feelings of being overwhelmed were compounded by a teacher explicitly telling her that she would fail her exams. Becki felt so ‘degraded’ by the ‘label of fail’ (Harragan et al , 2018; Deakin et al , 2020) that was imposed upon her that she felt denied the opportunity to discredit this label through any actions to demonstrate the contrary (cf. Wood, 2016): ‘it was the way he [her teacher] was saying it as well, very direct like “you're gonna fail”, like.…”

“…As negative labels become entrenched, young people can become marginalised from mainstream society or exhibit antisocial or criminal behaviour (Deakin et al, 2020), thereby increasing their risk of a criminal record and reducing life opportunities (Stacey, 2018). The public stigmatisation of specific groups of young peoplethose with a criminal record (Deakin et al, 2020), teenage mothers (Kidger, 2005) or care-experienced young people (Taylor and Fitzpatrick, 2006) results in marginalisation and a reduction in life chances for these groups (Deakin et al, 2020). Significantly, the discourse of collective public fear and disgust offers justifications, in the interests of public safety, for the safeguarding of normative social structures and for the use of 'risk-reductive' punitive measures.…”

“Game playing” and “docility”: youth justice in question

“…She started flipping". (Zain,17) The relationship between Zain and his reparation worker was characterised by struggle and tension, with the credibility/validity of Zain's perspective being devalued (Deakin et al, 2020). Zain was not acquiescent, accepting without contesting.…”