Classing early intervention: Social class, occupational moralities and criminalization

Abstract

This article interrogates the nature of judgements used by social control professionals to identify signs of anti-social behaviour amongst young people and families referred to early intervention programmes. The emphasis of professionals working within such networks is mostly benevolent in seeking to support and direct specific services at particular individuals. This article traces the effects of these processes of social control in action, specifically the ways through which professionals' judgements formed around the normative social class status of clients become prime reasons for intervening. The article reflects on the ways occupational moralities translate social class judgements into control responses, arguing that one of the principal outcomes of early intervention is class correction rather than crime control. © The Author(s), 2011.