NCJ Number
151824
Date Published
1992
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This paper provides an overview of young Australians who are victims of violence.
Abstract
Structural issues that set the socioeconomic context of this analysis include economic marginalization of young people, shifting family patterns, and lack of income support. Some of the issues examined here include young people as perpetrators of violence, the victimization/perpetration relationship, youth suicide, motor vehicle accidents, violence in the home, police-youth relationships, nonreporting of complaints against police, the experiences of aboriginal youth, and racist violence. Services for youthful victims are examined in terms of their availability, effectiveness, and support for parents of victims. Groups that seem to be at highest risk of victimization are homeless youth, aboriginal youth, and young offenders. These groups are often the least prepared to access the protection of the law when they are victimized. Predictors of victimization include the customary congregation of young people in public places, high levels of public transportation usage, alcohol and drug misuse, inexperience in negotiating disputes, and a lack of alternatives to delinquency and violence. Future research will focus on police-youth relationships, peer support programs, youth service utilization, and perceptions of sexual coercion among college students. 4 tables, 12 figures, and 55 references