Finding the pathways to crime prevention for socially disadvantaged communities: theory, evidence and practice. Long-term scientific evaluations of interventions that 'get in early' before crime problems emerge or become entrenched have consistently shown that such approaches work. However, governments and community agencies struggle to use this evidence to mount effective programs in areas of concentrated disadvantage because the evidence comes in the form of 'program packages' rather than mode ....Finding the pathways to crime prevention for socially disadvantaged communities: theory, evidence and practice. Long-term scientific evaluations of interventions that 'get in early' before crime problems emerge or become entrenched have consistently shown that such approaches work. However, governments and community agencies struggle to use this evidence to mount effective programs in areas of concentrated disadvantage because the evidence comes in the form of 'program packages' rather than models of practice that take account of local contexts and the challenges involved in achieving effective and sustainable engagement with local people and institutions. This project will show how models of effective crime prevention practice for disadvantaged communities can be developed, tested and implemented on a large scale in an economically efficient way.Read moreRead less
Interactions between Young People and the Police: Developing Strategies for 'Best Practice'. Youth typically hold a negative perception of police producing conflict and problematic interactions. The impact of such negative interactions is greater risk to youth and police, lower confidence in the police, and reluctance to complain about police misconduct. An effective relationship between police and young people is vital to promote efficient and smooth conduct of law and order, and to create h ....Interactions between Young People and the Police: Developing Strategies for 'Best Practice'. Youth typically hold a negative perception of police producing conflict and problematic interactions. The impact of such negative interactions is greater risk to youth and police, lower confidence in the police, and reluctance to complain about police misconduct. An effective relationship between police and young people is vital to promote efficient and smooth conduct of law and order, and to create healthier, safer communities. Our aim is to develop best practice strategies for police service delivery and for the processing of complaints against police. An intervention to promote more successful and positive police-youth interactions will be trialed and evaluated.Read moreRead less
What about the children? A study of the intergenerational consequences of paternal incarceration. Parental incarceration may have a profound and detrimental effect on children, heightening risk of offending and extreme disadvantage. The proportion of children affected is certain to increase as prison populations continue to grow. This research will identify policies and prevention strategies that will interrupt the cycle of disadvantage for children of prisoners and prevent social exclusion. Sig ....What about the children? A study of the intergenerational consequences of paternal incarceration. Parental incarceration may have a profound and detrimental effect on children, heightening risk of offending and extreme disadvantage. The proportion of children affected is certain to increase as prison populations continue to grow. This research will identify policies and prevention strategies that will interrupt the cycle of disadvantage for children of prisoners and prevent social exclusion. Significant cost-savings and prevention of victimisation could result from effectively targeting this high-risk population, reducing risk of offending and increasing the young person's ability to contribute meaningfully to society. Appropriately timed programs can deliver a range of long-term benefits for children, families and communities.Read moreRead less
Testing theoretical propositions concerning the onset and progression of child-sex offending, and field testing a new sexual abuse prevention model. Child sexual abuse poses serious threats to the health and well-being of Australian children. Data from a variety of sources indicate that, for a variety of reasons, Indigenous children are exposed to a heightened risk of sexual abuse. The present project is expected to lead to new discoveries about the causes of sexual abuse and to new evidence-bas ....Testing theoretical propositions concerning the onset and progression of child-sex offending, and field testing a new sexual abuse prevention model. Child sexual abuse poses serious threats to the health and well-being of Australian children. Data from a variety of sources indicate that, for a variety of reasons, Indigenous children are exposed to a heightened risk of sexual abuse. The present project is expected to lead to new discoveries about the causes of sexual abuse and to new evidence-based prevention methods both within Indigenous communities and in the wider community. The project will therefore contribute at a national level, as well as at a local community level, to broader efforts to improve the life chances of Australian children.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100853
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$344,996.00
Summary
Ethnically-motivated youth hate crime in Australia. This project aims to provide the first assessment of youth hate crime in Australia, examine incidence rates over time, and explore how Australia’s experiences compare internationally. Hate crime can cause injury, psychological harm and social disengagement. For victims in early adolescence – a critical time of identity formation – the harms may be multiplied. The project will uncover the risk and protective factors for perpetration and victimi ....Ethnically-motivated youth hate crime in Australia. This project aims to provide the first assessment of youth hate crime in Australia, examine incidence rates over time, and explore how Australia’s experiences compare internationally. Hate crime can cause injury, psychological harm and social disengagement. For victims in early adolescence – a critical time of identity formation – the harms may be multiplied. The project will uncover the risk and protective factors for perpetration and victimisation, and for understanding the consequences for hate crime victims. This is expected to benefit the community by helping to inform social policy to improve the lives of Australia’s youth.Read moreRead less
Vulnerable families: A study of the impact of parental offending and incarceration on children's developmental outcomes. The limited evidence available suggests that parental incarceration severely compromises the development and well-being of children and increases the risk of delinquency. The financial and personal costs to the community of individuals embarking on an offending career are substantial. Significant cost-savings and prevention of victimisation could result from effectively target ....Vulnerable families: A study of the impact of parental offending and incarceration on children's developmental outcomes. The limited evidence available suggests that parental incarceration severely compromises the development and well-being of children and increases the risk of delinquency. The financial and personal costs to the community of individuals embarking on an offending career are substantial. Significant cost-savings and prevention of victimisation could result from effectively targeting this high-risk population. This research will identify where and when scarce government resources should be targeted. Appropriately timed programs can deliver a range of long-term benefits for children, families and communities. The research will also investigate the reintegration of prisoners into their families, with the aim of reducing prisoner recidivism.Read moreRead less
Challenges, Possibilities and Future Directions: A National Assessment of Australia's Children's Courts. Children's Courts occupy a unique position in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in responding to often marginalized delinquent youth and vulnerable children and families. Philosophical and structural shifts in Australia and overseas suggest community and legal system responses are often ineffective and contribute to longer-term problems, creating social challenges for governments ....Challenges, Possibilities and Future Directions: A National Assessment of Australia's Children's Courts. Children's Courts occupy a unique position in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in responding to often marginalized delinquent youth and vulnerable children and families. Philosophical and structural shifts in Australia and overseas suggest community and legal system responses are often ineffective and contribute to longer-term problems, creating social challenges for governments and communities alike. This national study will examine how key stakeholders, including, significantly, judicial officers, view the Children's Court's contemporary responses and challenges, their preferred alternatives responses and the viability of suggested reforms, thus offering a unique contribution to informing legal and social policy change.Read moreRead less
Engaging Muslims in the fight against terrorism. This project aims to investigate engagement between the Australian police and Muslim communities by emphasising mutual fairness, voice, neutrality and respect. Collaboration from Muslims is essential in strategies to prevent terrorist activities The project will identify how police use procedural justice and when and why Muslims are most receptive to procedural justice. It is expected this will enhance police relationships with Muslims and assist ....Engaging Muslims in the fight against terrorism. This project aims to investigate engagement between the Australian police and Muslim communities by emphasising mutual fairness, voice, neutrality and respect. Collaboration from Muslims is essential in strategies to prevent terrorist activities The project will identify how police use procedural justice and when and why Muslims are most receptive to procedural justice. It is expected this will enhance police relationships with Muslims and assist measures in terrorism prevention.Read moreRead less
Policing in a multicultural society. This project aims to explore how immigrants respond to police and to identify strategies police can use to improve relationships with immigrant communities. Police rely on the public to report victimisation, crime incidents and terrorist threats, but new immigrants can be reluctant to engage with police. This project will explore why immigrants disengage from police and examine how immigrants perceive and respond to procedural justice policing, an approach th ....Policing in a multicultural society. This project aims to explore how immigrants respond to police and to identify strategies police can use to improve relationships with immigrant communities. Police rely on the public to report victimisation, crime incidents and terrorist threats, but new immigrants can be reluctant to engage with police. This project will explore why immigrants disengage from police and examine how immigrants perceive and respond to procedural justice policing, an approach that emphasises respect, voice and fair treatment. It is anticipated the project outcomes will improve police relationships with immigrants and help to prevent crime and terrorism.Read moreRead less
The contribution of youth development programs in preventing youth crime, drug and alcohol misuse and suicide. The key question is how much youth organizations (e.g., Scouts) promote positive development in at-risk youth and reduce crime and other problems. The effectiveness of youth programs in achieving this goal will be assessed through an audit of organizational activities, interviews and questionnaires with leaders and young people, and observation. Despite reports that up to 20% of partici ....The contribution of youth development programs in preventing youth crime, drug and alcohol misuse and suicide. The key question is how much youth organizations (e.g., Scouts) promote positive development in at-risk youth and reduce crime and other problems. The effectiveness of youth programs in achieving this goal will be assessed through an audit of organizational activities, interviews and questionnaires with leaders and young people, and observation. Despite reports that up to 20% of participants are at-risk young people, there is no evidence to support claims of positive outcomes for this group. This project will measure how much risk factors for youth crime are reduced and participation in school, family and community organizations is enhanced through involvement in youth programs, and analyse the ways in which positive outcomes are achieved.Read moreRead less