“Streets of menace”
Constructing and deconstructing youth “gangs” in two Australian cities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl/0000-0000-0000-1212Palavras-chave:
young people, violence, de-escalation, gang discourseResumo
This paper explores the symbolic and instrumental impacts associated with labelling particular groups of young people as perpetrators of organised gang activity. Using case studies from two Australian cities, we point primarily to the constitutive and damaging nature of much media and public discourse about youth gang crime and show how young offenders’ disadvantage and disenfranchisement is rendered largely invisible or immaterial to understanding the causes and solutions to such problems. In an era of “fake news”, social media “echo chambers”, civil conflict, mass international migration / forced diasporas, as well as the reassertion of strong sovereign borders, we ask: how might one de-escalate the “monstering” of young people whose identity (and presence and place in society) is known primarily, if not exclusively, through the “noise” and visibility of their offending?
Downloads
Metrics
Downloads:
PDF (English) 1061
XML (English) 1080
Referências
A Current Affair, 2017. Inside Apex. Channel 9 [online], 28 April. Available from: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6851036/ [Access 6 June 2021]
AdelaideNow, 2012. South Australia Police hunt dangerous parolee Shane Agius – for the second time in a year. The Advertiser [online], 2 July. Available from: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/police-hunt-dangerous-parolee-shange-agius-again/news-story/7648b5fa81c6f11c0734b9566fe5cf52 [Access 2 June 2021].
Andrews, D.A., and Bonta, J., 2010. Rehabilitating criminal justice policy and practice. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 16(1), 39–55.
Andrews, D.A., and Dowden, C., 2006. Risk principle of case classification in correctional treatment: A meta-analytic investigation. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, no. 50, 88–100.
Armytage, P., and Ogloff, J., 2017. Youth justice review and strategy: Meeting needs and reducing offending [online]. Report. Melbourne: Victorian Government. Available from: https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/justice-system/youth-justice/youth-justice-review-and-strategy-meeting-needs-and-reducing-offending [Access 2 June 2021].
Australian Child Rights Taskforce (ACRT), 2018. The children’s report: Australia’s NGO coalition report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child [online]. Report. Sydney: UNICEF Australia. Available from: https://www.napcan.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Child-Rights-Taskforce-NGO-Coalition-Report-For-UNCRC-LR.pdf [Access 2 June 2021].
Benier, K., et al., 2018. “Don’t drag me into this”: Growing up South Sudanese in Victoria after the 2016 Moomba “riot” [online]. Full report. Melbourne: Centre for Multicultural Youth. October. Available from: https://researchmgt.monash.edu/ws/portalfiles/portal/253671904/Don_t_Drag_Me_Into_This_Research_Report_Oct_2018.pdf [Access 2 June 2021].
Braga, A., 2012. Getting deterrence right? Evaluation evidence and complementary crime control mechanisms. Criminology & Public Policy, 11(2), 201–210.
Braga, A., and Weisburd, D., 2012. Pulling levers focused deterrence strategies to prevent crime. Crime Prevention Research Review [online], no. 6. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Available from: https://nnscommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Pulling_Levers.pdf [Access 2 June 2021].
Braga, A., et al., 2000. The Boston Gun Project: Impact Evaluation Findings [online]. Research report submitted to the U.S. National Institute of Justice. Available from: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=703283 [Access 2 June 2021].
Cappo, D., 2007. To Break the Cycle: Prevention and rehabilitation responses to serious and repeat offending by young people. Report for South Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Social Inclusion.
Case, S., and Haines, K., 2015. Children First, Offenders Second: The Centrality of Engagement in Positive Youth Justice. The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 54(2), 157–175.
Clancey, G., Wang, S., and Lin, B., 2020. Youth justice in Australia: Themes from recent inquiries. Trends & Issues in Crime & Criminal Justice no. 605. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
Cohen, S., 1973. Folk Devils and Moral Panics. St Albans: Paladin.
Colangelo, A., 2019. Why is Victoria the far-right protest capital of Australia? The Age [online], 6 January. Available from: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/why-is-victoria-the-far-right-protest-capital-of-australia-20190106-p50pue.html [Access 4 December 2019].
Collins, R., and Reid, C., 2009. Minority youth, crime, conflict, and belonging in Australia. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 10, 377–391.
Coventry, G., et al., 2014. Sudanese Australians and crime: Police and community perspectives. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice [online], no. 477. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. Available from: https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi477 [Access 2 June 2021].
Crime Statistic Agency (CSA), 2019. Spotlight: Youth offending in Victoria [online]. Available from: https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/crime-statistics/historical-crime-data/year-ending-31-march-2019/spotlight-youth-offending-in [Access 2 June 2021].
Cunneen, C., 2018. Indigenous people, resistance and racialised criminality. In: M. Bhatia, S. Poynting and W. Tufail, eds., Media, Crime and Racism. Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 277–299.
Davey, M., 2016. Melbourne street brawl blamed on Apex gang after Moomba festival. The Guardian [online], 14 March. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/14/melbourne-street-brawl-blamed-on-apex-gang-after-moomba-festival [Access 2 June 2021].
Department of Human Services (DHS), 2018. Yunga Nungas: A “Whatever it Takes” Approach [online]. Brochure. Adelaide: Metropolitan Aboriginal Youth and Family Services (MAYFS). December. Available from: https://dhs.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/77284/MAYFS-Brochure-2018.pdf [Access 2 June 2021].
Dmytryshchak, G., 2017. “We probably weren’t brave enough on injecting rooms”, says Victoria’s former police chief Ken Lay. The Age [online], 22 July. Available from: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/we-probably-werent-brave-enough-on-injecting-rooms-says-victorias-former-police-chief-ken-lay-20170722-gxgn84.html [Access 2 June 2021].
Flynn, A., Halsey, M., and Lee, M., 2016. Emblematic Violence and Aetiological Cul-De-Sacs: On the Discourse of “One Punch” Fatalities. British Journal of Criminology, 56(1), 179–195.
Giordano, P.C., Cernkovich, S.A., and Rudolph, J.L., 2002. Gender, Crime and Desistance: Toward a Theory of Cognitive Transformation. American Journal of Sociology [online], 107, 990–1064. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1086/343191 [Access 2 June 2021].
Goldsmith, A., and Halsey, M., 2013. Cousins in Crime: Mobility, Place and Belonging in Indigenous Youth Co-offending. British Journal of Criminology [online], 53(6), 1157–1177. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azt039 [Access 2 June 2021].
Haines, K., and Case, S., 2015. Positive youth justice: Children first, offenders second. Bristol/Chicago: Bristol University Press.
Halsey, M., and de Vel-Palumbo, M., 2020. Generations Through Prison: Experiences of Intergenerational Incarceration. London: Routledge.
Halsey, M., and Mizzi, J., 2021. Yunga Nungas Future Leaders Program: Evaluation Report. Prepared for Department for Human Services, South Australia, Unpublished.
Halsey, M., and Deegan, S., 2015. Young Offenders: Crime, Prison and Struggles for Desistance. London: Palgrave.
Heggen, B., 2016. Fears Adelaide police have been targeted by the “Gang of 49”. 7 News [online], 8 January. Available from: https://au.news.yahoo.com/fears-adelaide-police-have-been-targeted-by-the-gang-of-49-30520323.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAB4OrWQAtlc-W4Mc7DMDe32szDcZSsEA_ZtbUDz3Pm1Cp2_eOyNVylZpL-OpapDef63AeztHkPNDwh6mNKuoI4ACBWni79mLBfMMoVQouEObC-MXIGbXwZFUohZ9_sHmCeP6S2Rdw9JMCl8n--EfUgrWjez80U3S_LHaCf2pNC7_&guccounter=2 [Access 2 June 2021].
Hunt, E., 2017. Moomba festival: police arrest 53 and use pepper spray to control brawls. The Guardian [online], 12 March. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/mar/12/moomba-festival-police-arrest-53-and-use-pepper-spray-to-control-brawls [Access 2 June 2021].
IPSOS, 2018. Issues Monitoring Survey: The Top Issues Facing Australia [online]. December. Available from: https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2019-01/im_vic_dec18_v1.pdf [Access 20 December 2019].
Johns, D.F., Williams, K., and Haines, K., 2017. Ecological Youth Justice: Understanding the Social Ecology of Young People’s Prolific Offending. Youth Justice, 17(1), 3–21.
Karp, P., 2018. Peter Dutton says Victorians scared to go out because of “African gang violence”. The Guardian [online], 3 January. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/03/peter-dutton-says-victorians-scared-to-go-out-because-of-african-gang-violence [Access 2 June 2021].
Kelton, G., 2009. Put them behind bars as long as we can. A Global Village [online], 13 October. Boards. Posted by Chips (Administrator). Available from: http://aglobalvillage.proboards.com/post/146366/quote/23655 [Access 2 June 2021].
Kennedy, D., 1998. Pulling levers: Getting deterrence right. National Institute of Justice Journal 236, 2–8.
LeBel, T., 2007. An examination of the impact of formerly incarcerated persons helping others. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 46(1/2), 1–24.
Lee, M., et al., 2020. Social Cohesion and Pro-social Responses to Perceptions of Crime [online]. Report to the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety. 11 February. Available from: https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/handle/2123/21903/FINAL_Social%20Cohesion%20and%20Pro-Social%20Responses%20to%20Perceptions%20of%20Crime.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y [Access 2 June 2021].
Littley, B., 2011. Gang of 49 spreads law and disorder in South Australia. The Advertiser [online], 7 September. Available from: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/gang-of-49-spreads-law-and-disorder-in-south-australia/news-story/849e2f4bfe9ee170c129ac003cd251a3 [Access 2 June 2021].
Losoncz, I., 2011. Blocked opportunity and threatened identity: Understanding experiences of disrespect in South Sudanese Australians. Australasian Review of African Studies, 32(2), 118–142.
Malvaso, C., Delfabbro, P., and Day, A., 2018. Adverse childhood experiences in a South Australian sample of young people in detention. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 52(3), 411–431.
Nolan, D., et al., 2011. Mediated multiculturalism: Newspaper representations of Sudanese migrants in Australia. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32(6), 655–671.
Nunn, C., 2010. Spaces to speak: Challenging representations of Sudanese-Australians. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 31(2), 183–198.
Palmer, D., et al., 2020. Crime, Criminalization and Refugees: The Case of Sudanese Australians. Singapore: Springer.
Perrone, S., and White, R., 2000. Young people and gangs. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, no. 167. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
Poynting, S., 2001. Appearances and “ethnic crime”. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 13(1), 110–113.
Poynting, S., 2006. What caused the Cronulla riot? Race and Class, 48(1), 85–92.
Pratt, J., 2006. Penal Populism. London: Routledge.
Remeikis, A., 2018. Malcolm Turnbull says postal survey could decide future of Australian republic. The Guardian [online], 1 January. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/01/malcolm-turnbull-says-postal-survey-could-decide-future-of-australian-republic [Access 2 June 2021].
Rodrigues, S., Noonan, A., and Wills, D., 2009. “Gang of 49” out of control. The Courier Mail, 9 October.
Stewart, F., et al., 2009. Gang of 49 ringleader nabbed. A Global Village [online], 11 October. Posted by Chips (Administrator). Available from: http://aglobalvillage.proboards.com/thread/23655/gang-49-ringleader-nabbed [Access 2 June 2021].
Victoria State Government, 2020. Youth justice trial to boost safety and reduce reoffending [online]. Media release. 16 September. Available from: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-09/200916%20-%20Youth%20Justice%20Trial%20To%20Boost%20Safety%20And%20Reduce%20Reoffending.pdf [Access 2 June 2021].
Wahlquist, C., 2018. Is Melbourne in the Grip of African Crime Gangs? The Facts Behind the Lurid Headlines. The Guardian [online], January 3. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/03/is-melbourne-in-the-grip-of-african-gangs-the-facts-behind-the-lurid-headlines [Access 2 June 2021].
Watkins, E., and Kennett, H., 2011. Police fury as Gang of 49 thugs car-jack Rann adviser. The Advertiser [online], 3 September. Available from: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/woman-carjacked-by-group-of-thieves-at-parkside/news-story/a2ecbd0fa62ef988f70 e546a7bdc2228 [Access 2 June 2021].
White, R., 1996. Racism, policing and ethnic youth gangs. Current Issues in Criminal Justice [online], 7(3), 302-313. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/10345329.1996.12036709 [Access 2 June 2021].
White, R., 2004. Police and community responses to youth gangs. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, no. 274. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
Wilde, O., 1993. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Dover. (Originally published in 1891).
Williamson, B., 2009. Gang of 49: Adelaide reacts to uncontrollable youth. ABC Adelaide [online], 15 October. Available from: https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/10/15/2715511.htm [Access 2 June 2021].
Wilson, J., 2018. Burst your bubble: Australia’s “African gang crisis” has been brewing for years. The Guardian [online], 18 January. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2018/jan/18/the-african-gang-crisis-has-been-brewing-in-australias-media-for-years [Access 2 June 2021].
Windle, J., 2008. The radicalisation of African youth in Australia. Social Identities, 14(5), 553–566.
Wright, L., 2007. Lock out these refugee thugs. Herald Sun [online], 4 February. Available from: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/lock-out-these-refugee-thugs/news-story/f3b4ecd7456cd582ce42d20b78a4e591 [Access 2 June 2021].
Downloads
Publicado
Como Citar
Edição
Seção
Licença
Copyright (c) 2021 Murray Lee, Mark Halsey, Asher Flynn
Este trabalho está licenciado sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
OSLS strictly respects intellectual property rights and it is our policy that the author retains copyright, and articles are made available under a Creative Commons licence. The Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution No-Derivatives licence is our default licence, further details available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 If this is not acceptable to you, please contact us.
The non-exclusive permission you grant to us includes the rights to disseminate the bibliographic details of the article, including the abstract supplied by you, and to authorise others, including bibliographic databases, indexing and contents alerting services, to copy and communicate these details.
For information on how to share and store your own article at each stage of production from submission to final publication, please read our Self-Archiving and Sharing policy.
The Copyright Notice showing the author and co-authors, and the Creative Commons license will be displayed on the article, and you must agree to this as part of the submission process. Please ensure that all co-authors are properly attributed and that they understand and accept these terms.
