IFS: Youth club closures in 2010s led to increased offending and worse GCSE results.

This article focuses on research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) examining the impact of youth club closures in London between 2010 and 2019 on teenage offending and educational outcomes. The study found that the closure of around 30% of youth clubs, due to local authority funding cuts, led to a nearly 4% standard deviation decline in GCSE exam performance among affected youths, with a more pronounced effect for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Additionally, offending rates among teenagers increased by 14%, particularly in acquisitive crimes, drug offenses, and violent crimes. The research highlights that youth clubs provide important social and developmental support beyond recreation, and their closures have had significant negative consequences on both education and crime.