Missed Opportunities: The Role of Education, Health, and Social Development in Preventing Crime

Source: (2006) Monograph 126, Institute for Security Studies.

This monograph assesses the policies, programmes and services provided by the Departments of Education, Health and Social Development, and explores the potential of these for impacting on social crime prevention in South Africa. This study is primarily a policy review that begins with a descriptive overview of crime prevention, and maps some of the central debates in crime prevention. This is followed by a description of intergovernmental relations and government financing of the services under review. The policies, activities and programmes of the Departments of Education, Health and Social Development are then explored individually. In this regard, an overview of each department’s key policies and priorities is provided, and this is followed by a discussion of that department’s programmes that relate to the issue of crime prevention. This discussion is followed by a chapter that deals with the issue of groups that could be specifically targeted for crime prevention, including those targeted by the departments under review, i.e. children, women, youth and older persons. The monograph concludes with a discussion and set of recommendations based on the preceding assessment. (excerpt)