Youth & Crime

Question 1

What is desistance?

Answer 1

The cessation of offending or other antisocial behaviour

Question 2

What is the peak age of offending?

Answer 2

Most offending peaks in late adolescence and declines early adulthood (19-20 years old)

Question 3

What is moral panic?

Answer 3

• A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerge to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests;
• Its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media

Question 4

What is othering?

Answer 4

• A process by which we identify people who are not part of our in group, the people we do not want to accept, therefore classified as “others” -> about power dynamics

Question 5

What are some points on juvenile offending?

Answer 5

• Most offending peaks in late adolescence and declines early adulthood
• Those aged 15-19 are more likely to be processed by police for a commission of a crime than others members of the population
• Indigenous juveniles are more likely to have contact with the criminal justice system
• Male juvenile are detained at consistently higher rates than females

Question 6

What is types of offences do juveniles commit?

Answer 6

• High rates of graffiti, vandalism, shoplifting
• Serious offences such as murder and sexual assault are rarely perpetuated by juveniles
• More likely to be charged for offences against property than against the person

Question 7

What are some differences between juvenile and adult offending?

Answer 7

• Juveniles are less experienced
• Juveniles commit offences in groups in public areas
• Juvenile offences are attention seeking, unplanned and opportunistic
• Juveniles engage in riskier behaviour than adults e.g. drug and alcohol use, dangerous driving
• Juveniles are heavily influence by their peers

Question 8

What is the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Australia?

Answer 8

• In all Australian jurisdictions the minimum age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old
• Children under 10 cannot be held legally responsible for their actions

Question 9

What is doli incapax?

Answer 9

• A rebuttable legal presumption that a child is incapable of crime under legislation or common law

Question 10

What is the approach to juvenile justice in Australia?

Answer 10

• Welfare model -> considers the needs of the young offender and aims to rehabilitate the juvenile

Question 11

How does labelling effect juveniles?

Answer 11

• Young people labelled a ‘criminal’ by the CJS are likely to live up to the label and become committed career criminals rather than grow out of crime
• Stigmatisation by the CJS produces a self-fulfilling prophecy - young people labelled criminals assume the identity of a criminal
• Labelling & stigmatisation considered to play a critical role in whether a juvenile persists or desists from crime

Question 12

How is stigmatisation of juveniles reduced in criminal justice system?

Answer 12

• Prohibitions on naming the juvenile offender in criminal justice proceedings
• Juveniles can be found guilty of an offence without being convicted
• Convictions may not be recorded to avoid stigmatising juveniles and assist them to ‘grow out’ of crime rather than become entrenched in the criminal justice system
• Juveniles who participate in restorative justice conferences do not have a conviction recorded even if they have admitted guilt

Question 13

What is juvenile diversion?

Answer 13

Refers to the various measures to ‘divert’ juvenile offenders away from formal criminal justice proceedings

Question 14

What are some examples of juvenile diversion?

Answer 14

• Juveniles often afforded the benefit verbal and written warnings, police cautions, youth justice conferences or community based programs rather than sent directly to court

Question 15

Why is juvenile diversion important?

Answer 15

• Limits the juveniles contact with the CJS which may foster further criminality through stigmatisation and labelling