One of the Centre for Justice Innovation’s three core principles of youth diversion is to minimise labelling: schemes should take all reasonable steps to avoid stigmatising the children they work with, and to prevent them from forming deviant identities that may interfere with their development. In this, our second evidence and practice briefing, we outline the research on labelling theory; set out a practitioner’s advice for minimising labelling; and, most importantly, give a young person’s insight into being labelled.
