LAW 2420 Youth Crime and Justice - Seminar 1
This seminar focuses on what your initial thoughts are on young
people and crime – how much do you know about youth crime
before you even start the module?
Getting to know you: discussion and introductions
A short quiz – to be given on the day!!
Come prepared to discuss the following questions:
1. We know what is right or wrong at quite an early age, but at
what age do you think you know enough about doing
something wrong LEGALLY! Think of your own experience.
Between the ages of 8-10
Currently 10 in England and Wales- raised from 8 in 1963
Stabbing of Oliver Stevens in Reading- 14-15- most people
know what is right and wrong at this age
Access to internet for kids is much more forward now- so kids
are more likely to know what is right and wrong
It shouldn’t be only focused on age- need to consider other
factors e.g your up bringing, someone who has had a good up
bringing versus someone who got bought up with violence and
abuse
Regardless of if they are their same age, their views on crimes
and violence will be different
It could be hard to differentiate children based on experiences,
parents and intelligence too. Because, some people handle
things well, some do not. Some things might seem so small to
us, but to the children it can be the whole difference. But then
you have things which would make a great impact on us, but
would not make an impact on a child. Mental testing is a
possibility, but these are also hard.
problem lays with consequential thinking.. Your brain is not
developed fully to understand the consequences of your
actions before you reach an older age.
2. Why do we look at young people as a separate group within
the criminal justice system? Is this useful? Is it necessary?
Because young people aren’t fully matured so you can’t treat
them the same way as an adult
To protect them because they’re more vulnerable as opposed
to an adult who would know what they are doing, gives them
more of a chance
, I think it is necessary because it allows them to commit this
crime when they are younger and not let them be tied down by
that crime forever and repeatedly be in and out of the system-
divide them away from that protectory
juveniles' lack of maturity
propensity to take risks
susceptibility to peer influence
intellectual disability
mental illness and victimisation
children and adults have fundamentally different purposes-
child- develop and learn
but adult is to find yourself, be mature etc
3. If we do so, what do you consider to be the main purpose of
youth justice? What should it be trying to do?
It should be trying to prevent child offenders who offend
because of their age and not let them go onto the adult
offenders list
The vast majority of adult offenders have come through the
youth justice system
Aim towards prevention
More money in places like youth clubs etc to offer support
from these young people
Instead of punishment have rehabilitation
4. If there are high levels of reoffending amongst young people.
Many people think we should be tougher. Do you agree?
I don’t think being tougher is necessarily the right thing to do
I think if we look at the causes of crime in young people and
see that it can be due to social class or lack of education, then
we should work on these areas to improve them, which in turn
could lower the risk of youth crime
Edinburgh study- followed young people over a thing period of
time- researched their trajectories as they grow up from
childhood to adulthood-
https://leeds365my.sharepoint.com/personal/
lawtab_leeds_ac_uk/Documents/Microsoft%20Teams
%20Chat%20Files/1748895809360971.pdf
Youth crime and justice: Key messages from the Edinburgh
Study of Youth Transitions and Crime:
It argues that to deliver justice, systems need to address four
key facts about youth crime: serious offending is linked to a
broad range of vulnerabilities and social adversity; early
identification of at-risk children is not an exact science and
runs the risk of labelling and stigmatizing; pathways out of
, offending are facilitated or impeded by critical moments in the
early teenage years, in particular school exclusion; and
diversionary strategies facilitate the desistance process.
Studies have shown it is more effective in the long run to
actually try and help the children and not just hardly punish
them
5. We have a system of sanctions, including imprisonment –
could we deal with children who offend in a different way?
There is a large debate surrounding punishment or welfare
I think for children the first consideration should be welfare
So instead of imprisonment, it could be more like rehabilitation
Bulger case in comparison to the Norway case- the Reddigar case?
Can suggest we dealt with the Bulger case wrong
This seminar focuses on what your initial thoughts are on young
people and crime – how much do you know about youth crime
before you even start the module?
Getting to know you: discussion and introductions
A short quiz – to be given on the day!!
Come prepared to discuss the following questions:
1. We know what is right or wrong at quite an early age, but at
what age do you think you know enough about doing
something wrong LEGALLY! Think of your own experience.
Between the ages of 8-10
Currently 10 in England and Wales- raised from 8 in 1963
Stabbing of Oliver Stevens in Reading- 14-15- most people
know what is right and wrong at this age
Access to internet for kids is much more forward now- so kids
are more likely to know what is right and wrong
It shouldn’t be only focused on age- need to consider other
factors e.g your up bringing, someone who has had a good up
bringing versus someone who got bought up with violence and
abuse
Regardless of if they are their same age, their views on crimes
and violence will be different
It could be hard to differentiate children based on experiences,
parents and intelligence too. Because, some people handle
things well, some do not. Some things might seem so small to
us, but to the children it can be the whole difference. But then
you have things which would make a great impact on us, but
would not make an impact on a child. Mental testing is a
possibility, but these are also hard.
problem lays with consequential thinking.. Your brain is not
developed fully to understand the consequences of your
actions before you reach an older age.
2. Why do we look at young people as a separate group within
the criminal justice system? Is this useful? Is it necessary?
Because young people aren’t fully matured so you can’t treat
them the same way as an adult
To protect them because they’re more vulnerable as opposed
to an adult who would know what they are doing, gives them
more of a chance
, I think it is necessary because it allows them to commit this
crime when they are younger and not let them be tied down by
that crime forever and repeatedly be in and out of the system-
divide them away from that protectory
juveniles' lack of maturity
propensity to take risks
susceptibility to peer influence
intellectual disability
mental illness and victimisation
children and adults have fundamentally different purposes-
child- develop and learn
but adult is to find yourself, be mature etc
3. If we do so, what do you consider to be the main purpose of
youth justice? What should it be trying to do?
It should be trying to prevent child offenders who offend
because of their age and not let them go onto the adult
offenders list
The vast majority of adult offenders have come through the
youth justice system
Aim towards prevention
More money in places like youth clubs etc to offer support
from these young people
Instead of punishment have rehabilitation
4. If there are high levels of reoffending amongst young people.
Many people think we should be tougher. Do you agree?
I don’t think being tougher is necessarily the right thing to do
I think if we look at the causes of crime in young people and
see that it can be due to social class or lack of education, then
we should work on these areas to improve them, which in turn
could lower the risk of youth crime
Edinburgh study- followed young people over a thing period of
time- researched their trajectories as they grow up from
childhood to adulthood-
https://leeds365my.sharepoint.com/personal/
lawtab_leeds_ac_uk/Documents/Microsoft%20Teams
%20Chat%20Files/1748895809360971.pdf
Youth crime and justice: Key messages from the Edinburgh
Study of Youth Transitions and Crime:
It argues that to deliver justice, systems need to address four
key facts about youth crime: serious offending is linked to a
broad range of vulnerabilities and social adversity; early
identification of at-risk children is not an exact science and
runs the risk of labelling and stigmatizing; pathways out of
, offending are facilitated or impeded by critical moments in the
early teenage years, in particular school exclusion; and
diversionary strategies facilitate the desistance process.
Studies have shown it is more effective in the long run to
actually try and help the children and not just hardly punish
them
5. We have a system of sanctions, including imprisonment –
could we deal with children who offend in a different way?
There is a large debate surrounding punishment or welfare
I think for children the first consideration should be welfare
So instead of imprisonment, it could be more like rehabilitation
Bulger case in comparison to the Norway case- the Reddigar case?
Can suggest we dealt with the Bulger case wrong
