Every child across Australia deserves the care, opportunities and support to flourish. Yet in 2022-23, police charged 48,014 children, an increase of 6% from 2021-22, and the first increase in the rate of youth offending accounting for population growth since 2009-2010.1 Each year, these children are funneled into punitive criminal legal systems and locked in prison cells, when research shows us that connecting children with community supports early is key.
Jurisdictions such as Queensland and Northern Territory have started taking more draconian approaches to youth crime, however we strongly believe, as backed up by the research, that alternative approaches are required to keep children and young people out of the criminal justice system.
This briefing paper will look at early intervention and prevention programs across Australia and internationally to show what works. Broadly, some common themes in programs that have shown results in reducing youth offending are:
- Restorative justice – engaging offenders with victims to understand the consequences of their action.
- Rehabilitation over punishment – programs focused on education, job training and counselling.
- Family and community involvement – strengthening family units and utilising government-funded community resources.
- Diversion from formal justice systems – keeping young offenders out of formal court proceedings to avoid stigmatisation and promote reintegration.
- Alternatives to incarceration – using detention as a last resort and favouring community-based solutions. Having alternatives to incarceration embedded in legislation or in a nation’s constitution are fundamental to this.
Youthlaw welcomes the use of early intervention programs to address the root causes of crime. The research shows that this will produce the best outcomes for children and young people, as well as better protect the community.