ADR UK research showcase: Youth justice
22/10/2026 - 22/10/2026
22 October 2026
Join us online for the ADR UK Researcher Symposium, showcasing data-driven research insights on youth justice from across the UK.
This free event will explore how linked administrative data is generating fresh insights into experiences of youth justice across the UK, and how these could inform policy and practice to improve people’s outcomes.
Whether you're a researcher, policymaker, practitioner, or someone with a general interest in the youth justice sector, this symposium offers an accessible introduction to cutting-edge research and its real-world implications.
This event is taking place as part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science, which runs from 17 October – 7 November.
What to expect
You'll hear from researchers using linked administrative data to answer pressing questions about youth justice, followed by live Q&A with each speaker.
Our keynote speaker is Koulla Yiasouma, Chair of Oberstown Children Detention Centre and ADR UK Ambassador. Koulla is a qualified social worker with decades of experience across probation, children's rights and youth justice, including serving as Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People until 2023.
She will share her reflections on the use of research and data to inform advocacy across policy and practice in the sector.
We'll also hear rapid presentations from ADR UK researchers, including:
Professor Susan McVie, Chair of Quantitative Criminology at the University of Edinburgh and lead of ADR Scotland's Crime and Justice research programme. Susan will discuss research findings from the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, and explore their policy impact.
Dr Liliana Belkin, Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Roehampton and ADR UK Research Fellow. Liliana will share insights from her research into the relationships between alternative school settings and youth offending, using the Ministry of Justice and Department for Education linked dataset – England.
Louisa Roberts, from Population Data Science at Swansea University, will share insights from her research aiming to understand the circumstances of children involved in breach proceedings - proceedings which can be applied when children don't or can't comply with conditions imposed on them through community court orders.
Agenda
10:00 - 10:10: Chair's introduction
10:10 - 10:55: Rapid-fire research presentations
10:10 - 10:25: Professor Susan McVie - Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime
10:25 - 10:40: Dr Liliana Belkin - Alternative school settings and youth offending
10:40 - 10:55: Louisa Roberts - Circumstances of children involved in breach proceedings
10:55 - 11:25: Keynote speech - Koulla Yiasouma
11:20 - 11:30: Closing thoughts
Event details
This event is free to attend and will take place online via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 22 October, from 10:00 to 11:30. Registration is via Eventbrite.
