UNICEF Australia calls for urgent youth justice reforms during National Child Protection Week 

As we observe National Child Protection Week, UNICEF Australia is deeply concerned about the current state of child protection and youth justice in our country.

Several tragic events preceding this week have demonstrated systematic failures in protecting the rights and wellbeing of every child and upholding Australia's obligations under international human rights law.

The death of a teenager in a West Australian youth detention center, plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility in the Northern Territory and the abhorrent mistreatment of children in Queensland watchhouses, are just some of the recent examples highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive and evidence-based reform.

UNICEF Australia stands with the Australian Human Rights Commission in calling for immediate action to:

• Raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years in all Australian jurisdictions.
• Invest in community-based preventative and diversionary programs as alternatives to incarceration.
• Incorporate human rights protections for children into domestic law.

UNICEF Australia attended the National Child Protection & Youth Justice Forum held in Meanjin/Brisbane this week where discussions were focused on reforming the Youth Justice System. UNICEF Australia believes reform is needed urgently as the current 'tough on crime’ approaches are not working.

The evidence tells us that youth offending is closely linked to the experiences of economic and social disadvantage and the overreliance on incarceration fails to address these underlying causes. This failure results in disproportionate impacts for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, as well as children with disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health conditions.

We are calling for these reforms as the evidence shows that these actions will help to reduce offending by children and young people; improve community safety and provide opportunities for reintegration into families and communities.

UNICEF Australia believes that we need to keep all children safe, both within and outside of the justice system, and this means supporting greater prevention, responding to the social and economic causes of offending and always upholding the best interests of the child.