Abstract
Interventions aimed at reducing youth offending have tended to focus on either
parents/carers or young people. In recent years, literature has highlighted the impact
ofthe family on the emergence of offending behaviour in adolescence (Loeber &
Stouthamer-Loeber, 1987). Evidence suggests that family interventions can be more
effective but harder to implement successfully (Fadden, 1997). Research has
indicated that working with both young people and their parents within a multiple
family group (MFG) setting may be more effective for 'hard to reach' groups
(McKay, etal., 1995).
In the present study, a qualitative methodology was used to explore the experiences
of five families and two facilitators who had attended a multiple family group (MFG)
for young people at risk ofreoffending. Semi-stuctured interviews were analysed
using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The aim was to provide an
in-depth account of the way in which these individuals made sense ofthe group
process and the impact they perceived it to have on their wider lives.
Six super-ordinate themes were identified. The first related to the struggles families
were experiencing prior to the MFG and the way in which this impacted on their
ability to access services. The second related to participants' negative expectations of
MFG intervention, largely based on previous experience ofprofessional input. The
third concerned participants' overall positive perceptions oftheir involvement in the
MFG. The fourth theme related to significant characteristics ofthe MFG that were
thought to facilitate engagement. These were characterised in terms of a group
'ethos'. The fifth theme encompassed the overall impact that participants felt the
MFG had on their own lives. The final theme related to the limitations ofthe MFG
intervention
Overall, families responded well to MFG intervention and found it to have a positive
impact in terms of their relationships with one another. This study has highlighted
some of the critical factors that result in these families being labelled as 'hard to
reach' and has identified some elements within service provision that may encourage
them to engage. The need to offer a follow-up service was also identified.
