Youth crime continues to be a concern across all Australian states and territories. Despite an overall decrease in youth offending over the past decade, there have been recent sharp increases in particular crimes (e.g., aggravated burglary). It has been suggested that this trend is fuelled by social media which provides a public platform for youth to boast about their crimes which in turn incentivises other young people to do the same. There have also been calls from numerous organisations and groups to raise the age of criminal intent in Australia from 10 to 14 years of age when children are more able to fully grasp the consequences of their behaviour. While some Australian states have already begun to raise the age of criminal intent, this has not yet occurred in NSW.
NSWPF is particularly interested in research into:
8.1 What are the risks and benefits to the community in altering the age of criminal intent, considering the range of criminal activity involving youth? What have been the positive and negative outcomes of raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 in other jurisdictions? What can the NSWPF learn from them?
8.2 The impact of social media and the proliferation of public access content on a range of crime types and the potential to incite further violence in youth groups.
8.3 Is the trend of younger offenders (8-14) increasing involvement in serious crime in Regional NSW an Australian or worldwide phenomenon? What is contributing to this increase, and what are other jurisdictions doing about it?
8.4 What are emerging issues in youth antisocial and offending behaviour and how do they intersect with disadvantage, disengagement, and perceived consequences?
8.5 Longitudinal assessment of the efficacy of NSWPF youth crime prevention and engagement programs (e.g., PCYC) in deterring crime and anti-social behaviour throughout adolescence and/or into adulthood.
8.6 What strategies, diversions, and interventions have had a positive impact upon the offending of 10-14-year-old age group? Are there particular individual and/or environmental factors that influence the success/failure of these initiatives? At what age should intervention occur to obtain the best outcomes for at risk children/youth?
8.7 How strongly do parents shape a child’s values and morality? Can children aged 10-14 years have morals and values that contrast with those of their parents? What individual and situational factors influence children’s moral development and what implications does this have for juveniles who have contact with the criminal justice system?