What is the intersection between contact with the youth justice system, disengagement from education, and future outcomes for young people? Statistics already show that involvement in the child protection system results in over-representation in the youth justice system – in Australia young people aged 10–16 years in the child protection system were 12 times more likely to be in the youth justice system than the general population of the same age, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people 16 times more likely to be involved in both systems. Abuse or neglect at home can also cause young people to leave, which exposes them to further risks of victimisation, offending, disengagement from responsibilities, homelessness, and contact with the criminal justice system. When it comes to schooling and education, young people who are disengaged suffer worse outcomes – and that a promising way to address the issue of potential suspension or exclusion is through models such as restorative justice. The research suggests the best outcomes result from prevention, rather than cure – that is, enhancing family, community and cultural supports and networks, and early intervention in situations of abuse and neglect to prevent the onset of offending. When it comes to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, research shows the importance of recognising culture as a protective and rehabilitative factor.
If you do the crime than you should expect to do the time, I am sick of hearing about these young offenders sad situations bought about by there own criminal lifestyles, if organizations such as yours have there way in raising the criminal age to 14 than God help us as there will be no deterrent. The problem is that these mostly aboriginal criminals are let off way to easy, if punishment for committing crimes is severe than these little law breakers will think twice before committing further crimes. The fact that aboriginal youth are largely over represented in youth lockup is because they are committing serious crimes, stop committing crimes & there will be no need to worry about being locked up. Stop blaming the white man for the problems with aboriginal youth crime, colonials have for a long time been providing to the aboriginals free housing, education, health care & a far better lifestyle than they had prior to colonization.