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May 2008 Conference targets young people, crime
Chief Commissioner of Police Christine Nixon, President of the Children’s Court Justice Paul Grant and Senior Manager for Road Safety at the Transport Accident Commission David Healy were guest speakers at the Victorian Safe Communities Network national conference. The Department of Human Services Public Health Branch and the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner were among the hosts of Young people, crime and community safety: engagement and early intervention conference. The Australian Institute of Criminology was joint convenor of the conference, which attracted about 350 participants. Presentations from a range of community safety professionals, practitioners, researchers and policymakers supplemented keynote speeches. Participants particularly appreciated learning about programs for young people that addressed the issues with which local communities struggled. These included: • The Sudanese youth justice project described by Tim Watson; • The St Kilda Junction graffiti project (Martin Goffin); • Drugs and driving in Australia (Dr Jane Mallick); • Easy does it—working with nightclubs to reduce risk for young people (Lisa Armstrong-Rowe); • Male adolescents at risk project—an early intervention family violence initiative (Katie Wright); • Cabrini youth bus (Mark Young); • Maintaining education of at-risk young people (Bronwyn Harcourt). A highlight of the conference was a performance by members of the Anti Racism Action Band (ARAB) which helps at-risk young people. The performers modelled how, with time and expert assistance, young people could turn their lives around. Another highlight was the final panel discussion in which moderator Michael Bourne challenged Child Safety Commissioner Bernie Geary, the University of Melbourne’s Dr Carolyn Whitzman and City of Port Phillip’s Martin Goffin to a debate about young people being the problem or the solution. • For more information visit the Victorian Safe Communities Network website at www.vscn.org.au. |
