Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour Through Positive Psychology Coaching: Charnwood

To proactively reduce anti-social behaviour and divert young people from offending, Go-Getta CIC commissioned Worth-it to deliver a targeted programme of positive psychology coaching. Across the designated locations of Charnwood and Syston, the project provided 1-to-1 coaching for at-risk young people and coaching skills courses for parents. This report highlights the key outcomes and impact of the project.

Introduction

Anti-social behaviour among young people is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach. While traditional methods of punishment and enforcement can address immediate concerns, they do little to prevent future incidents or support young people in developing positive behaviours.

To tackle this issue proactively, Go-Getta CIC partnered with Worth-it to deliver a unique coaching program rooted in positive psychology principles. By targeting at-risk youth and their parents, the project aimed to enhance resilience, improve wellbeing, and reduce anti-social behaviour through practical tools and techniques.

Positive Outcomes for Young People

Through 1-to-1 coaching

By helping young people change their thinking and behaviour, the programme created whole-family change and delivered a significant, measurable reduction in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The coaching interventions equipped participants with the internal resilience and positive coping strategies needed to improve their relationships, reduce conflict, and build a more positive future.

About the Partner Organisation

Go-Getta CIC is a community interest company dedicated to providing early intervention for at-risk young people. As a core partner, Worth-it was commissioned through a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) grant for 2015/16-2016/17 to deliver interventions aimed at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) in specific local areas. The project engaged a total of 31 young people and 17 parents across Charnwood and Syston between November 2015 and March 2017.

The Challenge

The core challenge was to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour by addressing its root causes. Young people were struggling with intrusive thoughts, emotional outbursts, poor anger management, and low self-worth, leading to conflict at school and at home. This environment created a cycle of negative behaviour that was difficult to break.

A purely punitive approach was proving ineffective. The commission required a preventative solution that could change thinking patterns, improve the home environment, and empower both young people and their parents with practical, sustainable skills for building resilience and managing emotions.

The Solution: Coaching for Whole-Family Change

Worth-it developed a dual-pronged solution that combined intensive 1-to-1 coaching for young people with practical coaching skills courses for parents. This approach was designed to create a shared language and a consistent support system, enabling families to tackle poor behaviour together.

Our experienced coaches used evidence-based positive psychology and coaching techniques to help young people reframe unhelpful thoughts, understand consequences, and develop positive coping strategies. Parents were equipped with the confidence and tools needed to implement and maintain firm boundaries at home.

Implementation and Key Activities

• 1-to-1 Positive Psychology Coaching: Over the two-year project, we delivered 200 coaching sessions for 31 young people referred by their schools. Sessions focused on areas like the 90/10 rule (focusing on what you can control), challenging unhelpful thoughts, managing anger, and improving communication.
• Coaching Skills for Parents: Four courses were delivered for 17 parents, many of whom were facing complex challenges including addiction, mental health issues, and children on child protection plans. The courses gave them practical strategies to manage difficult behaviour and provided support that led to one parent gaining employment.
• Robust Measurement and Evaluation: We used clinically recognised tools, including the Depression, Anxiety & Stress Scale (DASS 21) and the Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), to measure the impact of the coaching before and after the intervention.

The Results

The Go Getta programme had a profound and measurable impact, demonstrating the power of coaching to build resilience and reduce negative behaviours.

Impact on Young People

The coaching sessions provided a safe, supportive space for young people to develop self-awareness and take control of their actions. The results from the DASS 21 self-report questionnaire were significant:

• 90% of participants recorded reduced scores for depression.
• 80% of participants recorded improved scores for anxiety.
• 90% of participants recorded improved scores for stress.

When asked what they had learned, participants said:

"Stop expecting the worst."
"Thinking about reality, challenging my unhelpful thoughts with helpful ones."
"How to cope with anger."
"Think before acting."

One case study, 'M', was referred for issues with intrusive thoughts and over-reacting. After the coaching, she reported being "more patient," changing her friendship group to get "rid of negative influences," and "staying out of trouble at school and concentrating more." Her school noticed that "she is calmer, focused and manages issues better when they arise."

Impact on Families and the Community

The parent coaching courses achieved full attendance and gave parents the confidence to tackle poor behaviour effectively. By creating change within the home, the programme helped break intergenerational cycles of negative behaviour and reduced the strain on community and school resources. The focus on early intervention successfully diverted young people from the criminal justice system, fostering safer and more resilient communities.

Conclusion

The Go Getta project is a powerful example of how coaching for change can deliver a significant return on investment. By moving beyond addressing symptoms and instead building core resilience, we can empower at-risk young people to change their own thinking and behaviour. This project proves that a whole-family approach, underpinned by evidence-based positive psychology, is a highly effective way to reduce anti-social behaviour, improve mental health, and give young people the tools they need to build positive, productive lives.

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