Small initiative, big questions: An analysis of the Townsville Youth Assistance Panel

Abstract

This paper attempts to convey the views and experiences of young people and parents appearing before the Townsville Youth. Assistance Panel (YAP) during a two-year period. These accounts are considered in the light of the official discourse relating to the aims and objectives of the Youth Assistance Panel. The views of prominent welfare organisations in the Townsville area are also discussed. The study illustrates clearly the gulf between panel members and parents' perceptions of the Youth Assistance Panel's operation. It is argued that the Youth Assistance Panel is predicated on an individualistic theory of juvenile offending which necessarily ignores the impact of structural forces upon such behaviour. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of issues facing social welfare practitioners in the field of juvenile justice attempting to develop ways of empowering young people and families. It is maintained that approaches to dealing with young people who offend should be more firmly embedded in the day-to-day lives of communities.