Understanding Youth Crime and Supporting Young People

Published On: 15 January 2025

Like many other places in the world, Australia is grappling with an increase in youth crime. According to figures published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, youth offending rates increased by 6% in the 12 months to June 2023, with reoffending rates also on the rise. Two thirds of offenders were male and the vast majority (80%) were aged between 14 and 17.

Factors driving youth crime

The reasons for youth crime are complex and often involve a complicated combination of factors. These include, but are not limited to: poverty and deprivation; domestic violence and abuse; mental health issues; special educational needs; and for many First Nation and migrant families, systemic racism and intergenerational trauma.

Many of those caught up in criminal behaviour are often at a disadvantage from birth and are amongst the most vulnerable in society. The trauma they experience in childhood can go on to shape the way they view the world and their place within it, leading some to feel so marginalised that they believe crime is their only option.

Problem with taking a ‘tough’ approach to youth crime

Officials in government are divided on the best way to reduce youth crime, with different territories and states adopting different approaches to tackling the problem. For example, the Northern Territory government has moved to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10-years-old, and in July 2024, Queensland’s opposition party announced its, ‘adult crime, adult time’ policy, proposing longer sentences for young people, to act as a deterrent.

However, evidence points to the fact that harsher punishments are often ineffective and may even exacerbate the likelihood of a person reoffending. A tough, punitive approach also raises difficult ethical questions around the incarceration of children for any length of time, regardless of their age or crime.

Of course, youth crime does need to be addressed: communities are being blighted, families are being devastated, and young people’s lives are being ruined. So, what is the alternative?

Rather than focusing solely on ‘cracking down’ on crime through deterrents, tougher punishments, or lowering the age of criminal responsibility, to effect longer-term change, we need to understand why young people are becoming caught up in crime in the first place.

Only then can we seek to tackle the underlying causes, take decisive, co-ordinated action to prevent offending and reoffending, and build safer communities for all – now and in the future.

Supporting young people at risk of being involved in youth crime

As professionals working in education, health and social care, what can we practicably do to support our vulnerable young people and help them avoid becoming involved in criminality?

1: Intervene early

We are already aware of the factors that increase a young person’s likelihood of being involved in crime. And while we may not be able to positively influence every aspect of their lives, we can prepare to be on the ‘front foot’ and intervene early.

During early childhood, we can identify those who may be most at risk of offending in the future and take proactive steps to support them and their families. This might be through healthcare system initiatives or through early years education.

As children grow up, we can continue to employ a range of strategies, such as mentoring, community-based projects, and outreach programmes, to ensure that we stop offending behaviour before it begins or has the chance to escalate.

2: Adopt a trauma-informed approach

Adolescence is tough for many young people, not least those who suffer some form of adverse childhood experience (ACE). Many of the individuals involved in youth crime have experienced some type of adversity, and their behaviour may be a manifestation of that trauma.

By taking a trauma-informed approach to care and support, we can better understand how a young person’s experiences shape their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Understanding their emotional and mental health needs enables us to bring more compassion to situations and relationships, reassuring individuals we are there to offer support, not to judge, blame or shame.

Read more about the impact of ACEs and download our Staff Meeting in a Box: Trauma-Informed Approaches.

3: Build strong relationships with young people and their families

Strong relationships are essential for building trust and fostering mutual respect and understanding. And it’s not just the young people themselves that we need to forge strong connections with; it’s their families, too.

When we establish open, two-way communication channels, we provide opportunities for everyone to come together and share their fears and concerns, as well as their hopes and aspirations. We can give everyone a voice, gain valuable insight into the challenges they face, and use this information to target our support in the most effective way.

For example, if we discover that a young person is regularly shoplifting food, it may be because there is little or no food at home, and they are attempting to meet a basic human need. Or, if they are involved with a gang, perhaps they feel disenfranchised and are seeking a sense of belonging.

4: Encourage a restorative approach

Often, young people involved in crime cannot see a way out; they think that there is no opportunity to change; no chance to repair the damage caused by their actions.

We have a responsibility, then, to show them that restoration is possible, and that through engaging in a supportive, structured restorative process, they can change the trajectory for themselves.

Restorative conversations help young people understand the impact of their actions, provide strategies for relationship repair, and encourage them to take responsibility for their behaviour. This invariably takes time, patience and practice, but can give young people hope, and set up for future success.

Download our guide to setting up a restorative conversation.

5: Support community-wide initiatives

While we can, to a relatively large degree, influence what happens within our organisations, successfully tackling youth crime relies on a community-wide approach.

We need to engage positively with community leaders, looking for ways to bridge gaps and foster a unified understanding. Where there is discrimination or feelings of fragmentation, separation, or ‘otherness’, we can work to better understand each other, identify common ground, and seek solutions.

Without the sustained support of the wider community, we will only ever be able to have limited impact, and the problem of youth crime will continue.

Becoming the ‘village’ that young people need

In a recent article, Anne Hollands, Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner, alluded to the importance of a ‘village’ in raising a child, referring to our communities, our education and healthcare systems, and families.

While the rise in youth crime is concerning, we, as professionals working closely with young people, are well placed to make a positive impact by creating supportive, inclusive and trauma-informed environments, intervening early, and supporting our communities to eradicate the problem of youth crime.