Criminologist Trina O’Connor has called for a zero tolerance approach to the treatment of young criminals in the wake of the attack on an American tourist in Dublin city centre which left him with reported life changing injuries.
Ms O’Connor told RTÉ radio’s Today show that many young people, when they go through the justice system, they “get a slap on the wrist.”
What was happening within the criminal justice system was that the young people were receiving “a criminal education into a career in criminality” when they needed rehabilitation.
There should be zero tolerance for violent crime, but a custodial sentence became “an apprenticeship into a career in criminality” she said.
There was not a holistic approach towards a young person who was lashing out against society. The mental health crisis being experienced by young people since the pandemic was also being ignored.
“Young people who became adolescents during Covid, during lockdown, actually don't know how to behave within society, they may come from a family that's in crisis. We have to support families that are in crisis. It is so complex. But we have the resources there. We just need to join them, and to get them work.”
Research had shown that when there was an increase in poverty there was an increase in violence, particularly in young people.
“Because young people, with the angst of adolescence, look at older people who have more than them, and they want to kick out at the world. So they're sending the message ‘I'm in pain’ therefore everybody else is going to be in pain.
“But the reality of this group within the inner city of Dublin is this group have been going and carrying on like this for a substantial period of time. And the gardai know who they are," she said.
Ms O’Connor said the issue was what treatment the young offenders received when in custody.
She said she advocated for treating young people with compassion, however there were some issues that just could not be “not criminalised”.
Violence perpetuates violence, so they needed a custodial sentence, but when in custody they needed to receive anger management and an educational restorative process.
“But if we just give them a slap on the hand, and they end up back in, charge after charge, then we're doing them a disservice because we are enabling bad behaviour.”
Young people cannot be allowed to get away with such levels of violence which seem to be escalating. If they get the message that they can get away with such behaviour then they will continue doing it, she warned.
Community policing was key, it was important that gardaí build relationships with young people, so they can intervene before matters escalate.”
