Evaluation of the Buddi Tag Programme

This initiative – under the leadership of the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit – aims to enhance the safety and wellbeing of 12 to 18 year olds who are vulnerable to exploitation.

Wearing a Buddi Tag – a voluntary electronic tag – is intended to help the young people avoid criminals and criminal activity and help them to engage with services and other support to enable them to make positive changes in their lives.

The research team, composed of experts from both the Violence Reduction Unit and the University of Kent is evaluating the programme and its effect upon young people’s mental health and attitudes, as well as their engagement with services, education and training and subsequent contacts with the criminal justice system.

Buddi Tag wearers are a diverse group, including young individuals vulnerable to exploitation and those who may have engaged in anti-social behaviour. Furthermore, the program extends its support to individuals eager to make positive personal and social changes, offering a deterrent to negative influences or providing necessary support for behavioural changes in their lives.

The Buddi Tag programme provides assistance and structure for individuals at critical junctures in their lives, fostering an environment where vulnerability is acknowledged, and positive changes are encouraged and actively supported.

Within this context, this research aims to comprehensively evaluate the programme’s  effectiveness, examining impact on safety, well-being, and social trajectories of young people who voluntarily engage with the Buddi Tag initiative.

Read more about the Buddi Tag programme