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Safer Communities Project

The issue: Despite the lack of specific police data in WA for youth crime in the region, various sources highlight the alarming prevalence of criminal activities and anti-social behaviour within this demographic. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5,799 recorded offenders aged between 10 and 17 years were reported in Western Australia in 2019-20, with a significant proportion (21%) having committed acts intended to cause injury. Furthermore, a report from the Government of Western Australia's Department of Justice reveals a breakdown of offenses among young individuals appearing in court. This issue disproportionately affects Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse youth, as emphasized by additional statistics indicating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the juvenile justice system. The project aims to develop targeted interventions for youth at high risk of juvenile crime, anti-social behaviour, and recidivism, with a specific focus on these vulnerable populations.

Project summary: Despite the lack of specific police data in WA for youth crime in the region, various sources highlight the alarming prevalence of criminal activities and anti-social behaviour within this demographic. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5,799 recorded offenders aged between 10 and 17 years were reported in Western Australia in 2019-20, with a significant proportion (21%) having committed acts intended to cause injury. Furthermore, a report from the Government of Western Australia's Department of Justice reveals a breakdown of offenses among young individuals appearing in court. This issue disproportionately affects Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse youth, as emphasized by additional statistics indicating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the juvenile justice system. The project aims to develop targeted interventions for youth at high risk of juvenile crime, anti-social behaviour, and recidivism, with a specific focus on these vulnerable populations.

Relevance for practice and policy: The co-create project aims to improve high-risk youth engagement in education, work ready programs and in the community. The project also aims to provide evidence of interventions that have been successful in reducing anti-social behaviour of high-risk youth and reducing their engagement in criminal activities.

Project funding: Commonwealth Dept. of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER)

Who is involved?

Chief Investigators:

Associate Professor Rosanna Rooney, Associate Professor Christina Pollard, Dr Roanna Lobo, Professor Jaya Dantas, Associate Professor Sender Dovchin, Dr Lynne Millar, Dr Stephen Montessoro, Professor Rhonda Oliver, Professor Sharyn Burns, Professor Rosa Alati, Professor Robert Cunningham

Project Manager

Kael Coleman

Project team

Dr Shari Hassan, Dr Getinet Yaya, Rachel Mann, Erin Mitchell, Georgia Griffin, Rebecca Sampson, Amber Hopkins

Partner community organisations

Ishar, Port School, South Metro Youth Link, City of Kwinana, Stolen Generation WA (Yokai Inc.), Friends of Mongolia

Project website: https://siren.org.au/

Progress: In Progress

Project outputs:

Group model building sessions and outputs

Interventions for each group

Several publications

Ayano, G., Rooney, R, Pollard, C., Dantas, J., Lobo, R., Jeemi, Z., Burns, S., Cunningham, R., Monterosso, S., Millar, L., Hassan, S., Dovchin, S., Oliver, R., Coleman, K., & Alati, R. (2024). Risk and protective factors of youth crime: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review, 113, 102479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102479
Rooney, R. M., Hopkins, A., Peckover, J., Coleman, K., Sampson, R., Alati, R., Hassan, S., Pollard, C. M., Dantas, J. A. R., Lobo, R., Jeemi, Z., Burns, S., Cunningham, R., Monterosso, S., Millar, L., Dovchin, S., Oliver, R., Bhoyroo, R., & Ayano, G. (2024). Protective factors, risk factors, and intervention strategies in the prevention and reduction of crime among adolescents and young adults aged 12–24 years: A scoping review protocol. Plos One, 19(11), e0312684. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312684