Compass's empirical and theoretical background
The Compass programme draws on a strong body of evidence and, for the first time, puts into practice the Situational Action Theory (SAT) approach in England and beyond.
A substantial body of research demonstrates the central importance of morality in understanding crime (Pauwels, Svensson & Hirtenlehner, 2018; Wikström et al., 2012). Over decades of development, Situational Action Theory (SAT) has provided a robust explanatory framework for this relationship (Wikström, 2019, 2024). Through extensive empirical testing, Wikström and colleagues have shown that weak morality is a key driver of criminal behaviour.
SAT, as a general theory of crime, positions morality at its core. Its central - and empirically validated - insight is that changes in morality are statistically associated with significant changes in offending at the individual level (Wikström, Mann & Hardie, 2018). SAT contends that all criminal acts can be understood as acts of moral rule-breaking, and crucially, it provides compelling evidence that morality is a stronger predictor of offending than alternative factors such as self-control.
The theory’s explanatory power has been supported in more than one hundred peer-reviewed publications. However, its application to intervention design and evaluation remains underdeveloped. The premise that morality continues to develop throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood - and that this development remains malleable - creates a clear opportunity for targeted intervention (Malti & Ongley, 2014). This is where Dr Trivedi-Bateman and Compass come in - developing an intervention that can reduce rule-breaking and crime and support children. We began our research in this area almost two decades ago and have built experience, academic practitioner networks, and ambitious future plans.