Parenting Orders: The Parents Attend Yet the Kids Still Offend

Despite the extended availability of the Parenting Order in England and Wales since its introduction by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, there is limited research on its impact and effectiveness; particularly in regard to its aim of reducing offending. This article presents results from an empirical case study and examines the circumstances of parents attending programmes, their attendance and the young people’s recorded offending before and after the intervention, considering the type of intervention and number of sessions attended. Although the imposition of the order ‘persuaded’ reluctant parents to attend programmes, an argument is advanced that a parent’s engagement in support should remain voluntary.