Social workers are set to assist vulnerable students by enhancing their relationships, fostering a sense of belonging, and improving school attendance.

“Our data indicates that when students disengage from school, it’s often a sign that something is amiss. For some, this could be the beginning of a path that leads to criminal behavior,” Allan explained.

These social workers will not be responsible for the most serious youth offenders, particularly those involved in legal proceedings.

The initiative draws inspiration from a successful program in Glasgow, where the creation of a violence reduction unit resulted in a 60 percent decline in violent crime.

“This is a proven and effective strategy,” Carroll stated.

“We know outside the family home, the school is the most important protective factor for young people, in particular at-risk youth.

“Early intervention officers have been proven to halve absenteeism and also in nine out of 10 young kids at risk, show them the power of education and live a life of purpose.”

About 70 per cent of Victoria’s worst youth offenders were “chronically absent” from school before they turned to a life of crime, new data from Victoria’s Council on Bail, Rehabilitation and Accountability (COBRA) reveals.

The data set analysed a targeted group of 70 children aged 12-17 who had engaged in the worst crimes, such as aggravated home invasions.

“The data is telling us that schools are an incredibly important place and provide an incredibly important opportunity for us to better support young people,” Allan said.

The government has not revealed which schools will benefit from early intervention officers, but said Melbourne’s west would be a focus.

“We’ll be working through the data to guide the decision-making around those 20 schools because this is a targeted initiative,” Allan said.

“We want to make sure that the targeting of this program is where it’s needed most.”