29th April 2011
As part of the White Paper on Crime process, the Department of Justice has to engage with various different groups. This report, focused on young people, has collected their opinions on crime and how it should be dealt with in Irish society.
The report was conducted with 34 young people aged between 11-18 from 18 counties in Ireland. Information was collated through open discussion and the topics were not set in advance, rather they were decided by the young people themselves.
The four main crime categories that young people were aware of were; Drug and Alcohol use and related crime, Vandalism, Theft and Disruptive Behavior, Sex Crimes, and Violent and Physical Crimes.
Under these topics, the group gave causes and consequences of each criminal activity and possible solutions to each. Among the findings, young people cited mental health as being a major contributing factor in drug use. They also suggested that sex crimes were caused by people being victims themselves and childhood experiences.
Greater levels of law enforcement, education, and more facilities for young people were the most suggested solutions to preventing crime.
The Department of Justice and Equality is now accepting submissions on young people's views on crime and other topics that appear in this report. More information can be found on their website justice.ie
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