Submission to the Youth Violence Commission in the United Kingdom

Abstract

To prevent and reduce young people’s involvement in violence, as well as the victimisation and demonisation of young people, this submission proposes that a holistic and interdisciplinary, professional public health approach be implemented into youth justice systems on a global scale (Robertson 2017). This multi-agency approach could consider and prioritise the holistic needs of children and young people to avoid further unnecessary, yet in reality, very damaging consequences of criminalisation and stigmatisation (McVie 2011). These therapeutic and more restorative responses to violence in particular, focus primarily on the wellbeing and future prospects of the child or young person, steering them away from traditional methods of punishment, including youth justice centres and juvenile prisons (Young, Greer & Church 2017). Furthermore, this submission will explore such alternatives to criminalisation and through an international comparative lens, will examine and reflect on the integration of a public health approach which has evidenced as being successful in Scotland.