Introduction

In 1981, one of the authors and two colleagues set up a social skills group for women, adapting materials designed for young male offenders written by Priestley and McGuire (1978). One participant commented:

In 2006, anecdotal feedback from practitioners delivering programmes aiming to cater for women, either as part of a predominantly male group or in a women-only context, highlighted how little had changed in 25 years:

These comments about the experience of groupwork interventions with women offenders suggest that methods were, and still are being, used which were designed for a predominantly male offending population, methods which favour structured activity over discussion and reflection within positive relationships. There may also be a tendency, particularly in mixed groups, to perpetuate the traditional characteristics and roles of women.

It could be argued that what is at issue here is merely a question of the style of delivery, and that the content of offence-focused programmes simply needs to be delivered in a manner which is more likely to engage women.

However, even when interventions are designed specifically for women, it is difficult to target the work flexibly enough to retain a focus upon offending, and also address what are often regarded as welfare or lifestyle needs. These needs may include experience of abuse and violence, mental health problems and the demands of parental responsibilities, all of which are commonly significant in the lives of troubled women and can affect how effectively they engage with interventions or sustain positive change in their lives.