Youth Justice: Root Causes, Effectiveness, and Recommendations

This document explores the root causes of juvenile delinquency, evaluates the effectiveness of the youth justice system, and provides recommendations for improvement. It also includes information on Australian statistics and literature on youth crime.

Youth Justice
1

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Root cause and contributing factors............................................................................................3
Evaluation the effectiveness of Juvenile justice system..............................................................4
Australian Statistics and Literature..............................................................................................6
Recommendation and improvement............................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
2

INTRODUCTION
Youth justice is based on the legal system that mainly deals with the children and young
people, aged 12 to 17 who always offend is separate and different from adults (Butcher, Day &
Stanton, 2020). The purpose of youth justice system is that providing the better service, which
help for prevent offending by children and young people. It may support victim of crime to help
them come under specific circumstances.
The youth justice system will be working with people who offend, help them to improve
their behaviour, attitude and also integrate back into different communities. This will help for
encouraging young people to make amend for their crimes. Usually, this type of system is
dealing with young people and depending on persistence and seriousness of their offending.
The documentation will describe the root cause and contributing factor to juveniles
committing the different type of crimes. It will be evaluating the effectiveness of Juvenile justice
system in term of deterring crime and how providing the relief to the victims. At last, it will
identify the recommendation for improvement in juvenile justice system.
MAIN BODY
Root cause and contributing factors
Juvenile delinquency has considered as major issue or problem in modern society, which
mainly describe illegal action by minor. This term will be including wide range of violation such
as skipping school and server crimes. These type of activities will be identified at early age,
young adults may able to stop juvenile delinquency (Baidawi & Piquero, 2020). If it has been
occurred when automatically increases the issue or problem among children’s. In this way, it can
be considered as major root cause, which may increase the problem or issue in future. So as
require to build an effective protective barrier that allows the children to develop own secure
environment (Wight, 2019). Therefore, it help for avoid such problems in future. Furthermore, it
has been determined the contributing factors to Juvenile delinquency.
3

Poor educational standards
A poor standard education system will contribute to their delinquency because there are
lack of discipline and order. It often experienced in school which lead children to act as
defensively. Generally, they have a certain fear from surroundings. However, it has been
determined that various school related work become deterrent for delinquent activities.
In recently, it has increased the rate of violence within Australian school. At every week,
27% of student aged children bullied. It is the most prevalent around age of 10 to 17. According
to estimation, different Queensland school have experience that constantly increase the case of
violence over 100% since 2008 (Butcher, Day & Stanton, 2020). Therefore, over 1000 violent
act against both student as well as teacher every year.
Socioeconomic factors
Juvenile delinquency is one of most common among poorer neighborhoods, whereas each
and every are not exempt from the multiple delinquent activities. Generally, this can happen in
different area where children feel and tried to commit crimes (Turner, 2019). Theft and similar
crime may have actually occurred by young adults so that require to understand the current
situation or situation. Afterwards, it will be providing the better guidance as well as counseling.
Poor school attendance
It is one of the most commonly factor that are contributing towards Juvenile delinquency.
School is not just the place to learn new thing but it has provided the structured routine. In order
to achieve desirable goal and objective (Chambers, 2019). Sometimes, children who are not
inspiring or motivating towards learning. Therefore, they are losing out own establishing good
habits. Afterwards, they can move towards criminal activities.
Evaluation the effectiveness of Juvenile justice system
According to western Australian criminal code act 1913, Juvenile justice is main area or
place where it applicable criminal law to person and not old enough to held the responsibility
towards the criminal acts. Another way, Juvenile refer to the individual who are able to commit
the criminal activities at early age (Connolly, 2020). Afterwards, when an individual person is
legally considered as adult. The children is older than 10 years, which may be applied the
juvenile court (Howard, McCann & Dudley, 2019). Afterwards, The Court has passed the
4

legalised rule and regulation in which applicable those under 18 years old (Cunneen, 2019). It
has been governed by juvenile justice code of states.
The effectiveness of Juvenile Justice System that provide the rehabilitation rather than
specific punishment. It is based on the administrated through family court (Stout, 2020).
However, it may consider the jurisdictions in case if any minors are charged of young adult.
As considered the review about the Juvenile delinquency and justice from the perspective
of Australian population. It has rapidly increasing the youth crime, large number of young
offenders are victims. The lack of clarity can arise the jurisdiction because young offender has
processed through welfare system. In Australia, Government has passed the law with considered
high minimum age of criminal responsibility (Cunneen, 2019). The young adults may have not
technically criminal but it shows wrong behaviour towards illegal action. In some situation,
Juvenile delinquents does not representing the immediate risk or threat of violence to other.
Juvenile justice system will help for identifying the disorder among young children on
the basis of evidence. It also defined the age related social expectations. The effectiveness of this
system is to consider juveniles within criminal justice system. This is not new concept but help
for projecting the young children from other criminal activities (White, 2019). In Australia,
Government should assume the significant provision in term of special treatment of young
children, who come under specific conflict (Malvaso, Delfabbro & Nobes, 2019). However, it
also supporting through welfare model which mainly focused on the requirement of child and
then diagnosis, treatment or other type of informal procedures. These are emphasises with the
procedural formality, accountability as well as punishment.
Australia is the best example with implementing the strong welfare process which always
supported by minimum age of criminal responsibility (Howard, McCann & Dudley, 2019). By
using justice model, it can be defined the official authorities in both private as well as public
location. According to report, it has been calculated the national rate at which young adults are
placed within government legal custody in 100,000 (Fitz-Gibbon & O'Brien, 2019). As compare
with other western and northern territory whereas it emphasis within different preventative event
or program. Sometimes, it is difficult to find out the compare effectiveness of juvenile justice
5

system because there is a lack of formal evaluations. Moreover, it is an essential to assume large
population of Australia on the basis demographics and different crime trend.
The Australian government initiative to promote effective juvenile justice event or program.
Thus, it focus on the identifying the different factors which always offending the behaviour of
particular juveniles (Snow, 2019). Sometimes, it may include the different risk factors regarding
delinquent, alcohol abuse, physical or sexual abuse and emotional abuse. It is an essential to
implement effective protective factor to create positive role model, which always inspiring or
motivating young adults (Turner, 2019). Generally, it emphasis with need or requirement of
young offenders where they are entering in the juvenile justice system. An effective program or
event help for promoting the youth criminal activities, also delivered the protective therapies and
service at schools.
The prevention related programs are considered the cost effective in which generating a
long term benefits. This will help for reducing the future demand regarding juvenile justice
system. Afterwards, it can produce the effective advantage to social community and also
avoiding the incurrence of costs through crime victim (Hepburn, Spencer & Ricciardelli, 2020).
Usually, early intervention program that will provide the various training and also support to
reduce the juvenile crime result or outcome.
Australian Statistics and Literature
According to youth crime report from Australia that have been documented 4% reduction in
the large number of young adult offender in 2013 to 2014 (Hepburn, Spencer & Ricciardelli,
2020). Although children and young adults have committed the multiple violent offences in the
densely population areas of Victoria. However, it has increased by 60% to 70% between 2000-
2010 (Howard, McCann & Dudley, 2019). Moreover, it has summarised on the basis of annual
trends of juvenile offending in Australia. In order to determine the expected global trend and
their unique characteristics by reduced the juvenile offending in recent years.
Over last ten years, it has found that decrease the large number of cases regarding children’s
court in Australia. The reason is to increase the current trends of Juveniles at early stage.
Moreover, it also including the diversionary measurement through effective program (Stout,
2020). Generally, the most common type of offences in which juveniles justice system include
6

such as assaults and theft. In 2006 to 20027, it has been appeared the defendants in the children
court, approximately 80% of juvenile offenders have not received any kind of penalties (Jia,
2019). As encouraging the young adult to follow the specific rules and regulation in proper
manner.
The court has given the advice to conduct an effective justice program for children so that
they can improve own behavior and vision. Service provider also support for young people aged
from 10 to 18 years (Malvaso, Delfabbro & Nobes, 2019). Also suggesting the remand of young
adults policy which always notifying both youth justice and effective support services.
Recommendation and improvement
To overview of structured decision-making practices that have been implemented in
juvenile justice system. According to report, it has been examined that Australian government
and committee focus on the Juvenile justice reform. its primary aim is to the improve the system
so that it will provide the benefits, advantage to children as well as young adults who are already
attracted towards criminal activities. By using court act 1899, children and other adult’s people
have developed the better program or event (Malvaso, Delfabbro & Nobes, 2019). It seeks to
educate or rehabilitate on behalf of punishment. It has been suggested to create new policies and
procedures so that ensure parents, family members to interact with children. It provide the better
guidance regarding right or wrong things.
Moreover, recommendation is that when avoidance of youth incarceration which possible to
treat the children in equally. Therefore, Australian tertiary will give response to youth adults that
should emphasis community related program rather any type of incarceration (Snow, 2019). It
will be setting the specific guideline to easily decrease the Australian population within authority
custody. In additional, it will be establishing an effective program regarding primary, secondary
and tertiary risk based event or program. These are supporting to address the delinquency across
the development areas.
Other hand, it also emphasized with different prevention parameter in regards of school,
family and intervention event. It always support for reducing the complex situation or condition
(Hepburn, Spencer & Ricciardelli, 2020). If in case, it has required the custody to release suitable
7

institutional based therapies and service. It is mainly useful for providing the better way to
inspire or motivate young adult children.
When reform the effective policy and procedure regarding juvenile justice system but
require to identify the common pathway in term of vulnerability on the basis of sex, race and
ethnicity (Hepburn, Spencer & Ricciardelli, 2020). In this way, it become easier to determine
current scenario while demonstrating the preventive intervention. By using prevention program,
systematically way to monitor or track the detention and confinement facilities. In order to
improve the adverse complex situation.
CONCLUSION
From above discussion, it has been identified that Juvenile justice system that help for
providing the better services. In order to reduce the criminal actions that are performed by many
young offenders. It has considered the legal framework and other welfare justice model to
support for improvement. The effectiveness of Juvenile justice system that mainly involved the
crime of victims, indicating the illegal actions. Furthermore, it has summarised about the root
cause and contributing factor to juveniles committing the different type of crimes. However, it
has considered the improvement plan, which always supports for managing and controlling the
Juvenile delinquency through justice system.
8

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Baidawi, S., & Piquero, A. R. (2020). Neurodisability among Children at the Nexus of the Child
Welfare and Youth Justice System. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 1-17.
Butcher, L., Day, A. & Stanton, S. (2020). Community engagement in youth justice program
design. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 0004865820933332.
Chambers, J. A. (2019). Child Protection, Youth Justice and the Legal Process: Challenges for
the Children’s Court. Australian Social Work. 72(4). 389-391.
Connolly, H. (2020). Young people develop plan for changes they would make to SA's youth
justice system. Bulletin (Law Society of South Australia). 42(5). 28.
Cunneen, C. (2019). Youth justice and racialization: Comparative reflections. Theoretical
Criminology, 1362480619889039.
Fitz-Gibbon, K., & O'Brien, W. (2019). A child’s capacity to commit crime: Examining the
operation of doli incapax in Victoria (Australia). International Journal for Crime, Justice
and Social Democracy. 8(1). 18.
Hepburn, T., Spencer, D., & Ricciardelli, R. (2020). Rural Policing, Youth and Overlapping
Fields of Youth Justice. Youth Justice. 1473225420925175.
Howard, K., McCann, C., & Dudley, M. (2019). ‘It’s really good… why hasn’t it happened
earlier?’Professionals’ perspectives on the benefits of communication assistance in the
New Zealand youth justice system. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology,
0004865819890377.
Jia, Y. (2019). Book review: Michele Zappavigna and JR Martin, Discourse and Diversionary
Justice: An Analysis of Youth Justice Conferencing.
Malvaso, C. G., Delfabbro, P. H. & Nobes, G. (2019). Young people under youth justice
supervision with varying child protection histories: An analysis of group
differences. International journal of offender therapy and comparative
criminology. 63(2). 159-178.
9

Snow, P. C. (2019). Speech-language pathology and the youth offender: Epidemiological
overview and roadmap for future speech-language pathology research and scope of
practice. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools. 50(2). 324-339.
Stout, B. (2020). Community Justice in Australia: Developing knowledge, skills and values for
working with offenders in the community. Routledge.
Turner, S. (2019). Rehabilitation and case management: What do the recent major reviews of
youth justice tell us?. In Australasian Youth Justice Conference 2019: Contemporary
Challenges, Innovative Solutions.
White, M. (2019). Youth justice and the age of criminal responsibility: Some reflections. Adel. L.
Rev.. 40. 257.
Wight, J. (2019). The youth justice system-is it just?. Precedent (Sydney, NSW). (154). 34.
10