Programs typically stress the prevention of behaviors that lead to re-offending. Most behaviors and attitudes don't directly lead to successful employment, however, they can be thought of as preparatory. Programs must be offered over months, not weeks, and of sufficient intensity to change entrenched behaviors and attitudes. Programs that employ single aims or strategies do not work. Youth offending has no single cause and the young offender population is far from homogeneous.
Successful programs are multi-faceted.
Programs do not work when those who offer them do not believe in their efficacy. Successful programs can fail because of cynicism among those who implement and administer them. Lack of program fidelity is a common cause of failure. Successful programs are often complex, a reflection of the complex causes of youth offending. If they are not delivered as designed and those implementing them are not well trained, successful programs can fail.