The impact of criminal conviction disclosure on the self-reported offending profile of social work students

Data gathered at a Scottish institute of higher education between 1986 and 2000 indicate a significant reduction in the scale of self-reported offending behaviour by social work students. The change coincided with the introduction by the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW) in 1989 of a requirement that applicants for training disclose prior to admission any criminal convictions recorded against them. The article suggests that more prolific offenders have been deterred from applying to DipSW programmes and the social work profession needs to take steps to create a more positive climate for the recruitment of those offenders who represent no more of a threat to users than non-offenders.