Vulnerability of Young People to Crime

Running head: VULNERABILITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO CRIME
VULNERABILITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO CRIME
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VULNERABILITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO CRIME
Introduction
Crime is one aspect of the society that affects the young people more than any other
demography. The young people are the most vulnerable to crime and the governments across the
world realize this. Several factors contribute to the young people being vulnerable to crime and
antisocial behaviors. Some factors include the low self-image and self-esteem in the young
people. Further, the young people who do not have a proper family also become vulnerable to
crime. Some young people flee home due to the disturbances and fall prey to the criminals. Apart
from being victims to crime, young people also become vulnerable to committing crimes. This in
turn also makes them vulnerable to crime especially from those in the law enforcement
authorities.
The present essay discusses the main challenges that the young people face as victims
within the criminal justice system and beyond it. At first, the essay will provide discussion on the
vulnerability of young people to crime in Australia and the world. Then, the essay will try to
explain the reasons for the vulnerability of the young people to crime. Further, the essay will
highlight the key challenges that the young people face as victims.
Discussion
The statistics on young people in detention in Australia is quite scary as the numbers
continue to rise. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, between 2014 and
2018, 980 young people were in detention out of which, 90 percent were male and 54 percent
belonged to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community (Aihw.gov.au, 2019). These
figures reveal that the condition of the young people especially boys in Australia related to
vulnerability to crime is serious and in need for immediate intervention. It is important to

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VULNERABILITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO CRIME
understand that young people from certain sections and communities are more vulnerable to
crime and its influence than the ones in a privileged position. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people are more in danger of crime being committed to them or them taking the path of
crime than are the non-Indigenous people. The disproportionately increased level of Indigenous
juvenile crime especially amongst those aged between 10 and 17 years and 18 and 24 years poses
a major challenge for the Australian government (Aihw.gov.au, 2019). The Council of Australian
Government’s Closing the Gap initiative has been started to stop the increase in Indigenous
youth crime. However, the tragedy is that the rate of Indigenous young people are most likely to
be imprisoned today than at any other moment post the Royal Commission into Aboriginal
Deaths 1991 (Aph.gov.au, 2019). According to Muir et al., (2019), only a minority of young
people become victims of crime although this also influences their health and wellbeing
negatively. The author claims that mostly men, Aboriginal young people and young people with
disability are the most vulnerable to crime. These young people are mostly affected by crimes
especially those that are violent. In contrast to this, Powell and Henry (2014) find that young
women are most likely to be victims of crime especially sexual abuse in both online and offline
platforms. The authors provide evidence of non-consensual ‘sexting’ where the violence is
perpetrated mostly on young women.
Macourt (2014) observes that young people irrespective of any community to which they
belong are the most vulnerable to crime because their voices go unheard. The author states that
the governments must realize that it is important to listen to the voices of the children because
ignoring their voices would further make them vulnerable to crime. Several reasons are there that
make the young people vulnerable to crime. One of the prime reasons for young people being
vulnerable to crime is there young age and the level of maturity they have. Dowse et al. (2014)