Nature and Extent of Youth Offending - Essay Sample

Introduction

Every year cases of youth offending are reported, and often many youths caught on the wrong side of the law are charged, this is common in Australia as it is across the globe. The statistic shows that in Australia youth of age 6-15 are often presented in court and charged with different criminal offenses. Although cases of juvenile sentences have been on the declined since 1998 statistically the media has negatively reported on juvenile cases mostly on the rising number of criminal gangs (Papalia, Thomas, Ching & Daffern, 2015). Comparing the statistics and media reports its evidence the image painted by the press is misleading. The media continue to portray teens as the most dangerous criminal gangs threatening lives and causing the government and society to have a negative image on youth causing the government to come up with pressurized measures against youth offenders. This study, therefore, will explain the nature and extent of youth offending by examining the currents statics. Media reporting role on youth crimes and media influence on governments and society against youth crimes. Role of government in policy development in curbing teen crimes.

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Media Reporting

Media has reported continuously of a growing youth crime rate causing the government and society to remain alarmed. The media influence seems to be quite loud as most people rely on media and tabloid reporting and society happening and often without questioning people take the tabloid new as a fact. The media has made youth crime as an area of focus, and daily reports of youth crime continue to be reported. These persistent reports have caused regular conversations in the community and across law, and government policy makes (ACA. Multicultural Teen Crime Crisis, 2017). What catches people attention is the front images of teen gang painted on the newspaper headlines. Although the youth crimes have been in existence since back in time, media portrayal of the youth's crime incidences has caused increasing scrutiny of court and government decisions.

The rioting gangs are the commonly reported crimes by media, and it is today a powerful story influencing community perception. Migrant groups are worst reported about. Migrant gangs are said to be coming insane invasion s in homes, theft, and carjacking. The idea of linking ethnicity to crime has caused fear and stigmatization towards certain groups of people and the most reported about negatively are the African thugs. Media reporting has caused people to develop a negative attitude towards African immigrants to Australia as the media continue to taint the images of Africans (The 'African' 'Gang' 'Crisis', 2018). It is known that not all Africans are criminals, but the manners in which media continue to portray teen thugs from African descent causes people to categorize all Africans groupies as evil. Such incidences continue to create questions and anxiety on issues of immigration, terrorism and the possibility of an unstable internal landscape.

Median Influence on Government and Policy Setting Against Youth Offenders

Although media has its role in the society of reporting, sensitizing, educating the community, negative reporting cause's short term problem-solving methods ill thought through enacted. The constant pressured caused by media reporting also resort to poor policymaking. Media has in the paste successfully influenced politicians to make reactionary and short term policies causing unforeseen problems to the justices system and government decision-making process. Conservative policy changes by politician have contributed to punitive changes in law and in return a sudden pattern in recidivism, disproportionate imprisonment rates when comparing crime rate and population. Criminal rights are disadvantaged, and inequality is on the rise. Adverse media reporting has also contributed to harsh sentencing implementations, attention on the creation of more prison and employment of police all at the expense of tax payer's money. Such changes have however failed to meet the proposed problem solution there can be termed as none functional. The government should, therefore, focus on the bigger picture which is reducing cases of teen offending and minimize re-offending by young teens.

Role of Government in Reducing Teen Crime

It is the role of government to stand uninfluenced by media to mitigate and solve the rising cases of youth crime and reduce reoffending. The government needs to creatively work with the community and invest more in approaches that minimize over spending money in police recruitment and prison construction but rather invest that money community-based initiative that seeks to address the growing cause of youth crime (Papalia, Thomas, Ching & Daffern, 2015). Such policies' will help set policing strategies especially in ethnically diverse communities where distrust has been created, and people of specific ethnic background distrusted. Examining the current crime rate and imprisonment statistic the government is doing a good job and should maintain their strategies but strengthen them often without allowing external influence such as media.

References

ABC COMEDY (14 January 2018). The 'African' 'Gang' 'Crisis' Tonightly with Tom Ballard https://www.facebook.com/ABCCOMEDY/videos/1572432179476529/

Mele host (Jan 16, 2017). ACA. Multicultural Teen Crime Crisis. (Melbourne)(Multicultural Nightmare) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdjgXoFkiQ

Papalia, N., Thomas, S. D., Ching, H., & Daffern, M. (2015). Changes in the prevalence and nature of violent crime by youth in Victoria, Australia. Psychiatry, psychology and law, 22(2), 213-223.