The Cheif minister of the NT is saying the age of criminal responsibility will be lowered back to 10 YEARS OLD. Which is in line with most other states.
I would like to open up a respectful discussion and get some peoples thought on this.
There is always reasons for peoples behaviours and children aged 10 years old lack the same reasoning skills, rational thinking as an adult or even mid teen and that is when they don’t already have underlining trauma, a mental health issue or behaviour issue, or all of the above (as we know they are often linked)
We know there are high rates of youth crime currently in the Northern Territory, so I would like to know what you think is the solution?
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the statistics of youth crime, we know that which tells us more needs to be done, but is punishment by law the answer?
I consider myself fortunate given my experiences that I was not incarcerated or indetention as a teenager, I could of been but i was also only a child, I lacked the capacity I have now to make better choices and understand my own actions I was experiecing significant trauma, exclusion, poverty. I am also a father to a primary school aged child and it’s easy to forget how young 10 is unless you see it every day
