Case Study Two
How Outreach stopped a young woman from drifting into a life of drugs
Danielle comes from a working family background with both parents at home. Her father is employed and she has two younger sisters. At the age of 13 Danielle admitted to shoplifting on several occasions. Initially subject to police warning she was eventually charged, found guilty and fined.
During this time she was a persistent truant from school and had been excluded on several occasions for disobedience and abusive language towards school staff. Her parents were unable to cope. Eventually Danielle's behaviour brought her to the attention of social services. It was at this point that Danielle, by now 14, was encouraged to attend Outreach. After some persuading she eventually agreed to give it a try, though she now admits she was not really interested. She only went along to keep her social worker quiet!
The outcome was positive. After joining the Outreach programme, Danielle realised she could achieve much more and became enthusiastic to attend again. By the end of the programme she had joined her local cadet detachment and was now achieving more than she could have ever imagined. She still had problems attending school but now realised that to be a member of the Army Cadet Force she had to address her behaviour. She made the positive decision to stop offending. Her parents were able to be supportive again and her school started to notice a change in attitude and attendance. By the time Danielle was 15 years old, she was a committed member of the Army Cadet Force regularly attending school. And with help, she managed to catch up on her lost education.
Having been a member of the Army Cadet Force for three years she now holds the rank of Sergeant and regularly teaches junior cadets and works as a volunteer on Outreach programmes for other young people with similar problems. Her schooling has improved to such a level that she expects to win a place at university.
Her parents are so proud of her and what the Army Cadet Force has done for her that they have actively encouraged their other two children to join the cadets, hopefully avoiding the problems that Danielle encountered.