Victims First? Examining the Place of ‘Child Criminal Exploitation’ Within ‘Child First’ Youth Justice Article – Child and Society Journal (January 2023)

Summary:

Access to an article published by the Child and Society Journal that explores child criminal exploitation in relation to Child First principles.

Description:

Child and Society Journal has published Victims First? Examining the Place of Child Criminal Exploitation’ Within ‘Child First” Youth Justice Article – Child and Society Journal (January 2023). The article draws on empirical research with youth justice practitioners and children, to examine whether the treatment of children as victims of child criminal exploitation equates to a meaningful reversal of the ‘offenderisation’ of children. In addition, this article examines whether an increased focus on child criminal exploitation is compatible with the movement towards child first youth justice in the youth justice system as a whole.

This article found that child criminal exploitation does not represent a possibility for the meaningful reversal of the ‘offenderisation’ of children. This is because at present, processes of child criminal exploitation victim identification often serve to further entrench children within the youth justice system. This is due to the current NRM process, the use of criminalisation as a safeguarding tool as a result of austerity, and the difficulties that children experience in conforming to narrow standards of ‘victimhood’.

As a result, child criminal exploitation victim identification conflicts with the child first approach’s focus on diversion. In addition, child criminal exploitation victim identification functions to single out certain children as victims more deserving of support, and therefore fails to align with the holistic approach of child first, which focuses on addressing and responding to the needs of all children in conflict with the law.