scholarly journals The Impact of Educational Intervention on Young People's Understanding of Legal Rights in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Julia Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
The Impact

<p>The Child and Young Persons version of the Rights Caution is read to young people to inform them of their legal rights during police arrest and questioning in New Zealand. Research to date suggests the way legal rights are currently delivered does not meet young people’s developmental needs, as young people do not understand their rights. This research aimed to examine: 1) the level of legal rights understanding among young people in New Zealand; 2) the relationship between age and understanding; and 3) whether understanding can be improved with a video-based educational intervention which provided young people with legal rights knowledge. In this study a community sample of young people (n = 99), aged 10 to 18-years, was used. Participants were assigned to two groups; one group received an educational video which provided legal rights knowledge, while the other received the legal rights as they are currently delivered in practice with the Child and Young Persons version of the Caution. Young people’s understanding of legal rights was then assessed in a semi-structured interview using the New Zealand Rights Caution Competency Questionnaire (Fortune et al., 2017). The results showed levels of understanding among this sample were low, with young people misunderstanding many parts of their legal rights. Regression analysis revealed age was a significant positive predictor of legal rights understanding, suggesting younger youth are most vulnerable to incomplete legal rights understanding. Regression analysis also revealed the educational video significantly improved young people’s understanding across a variety of legal rights abilities, including their ability to remember and apply legal rights in hypothetical legal scenarios. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed, alongside the need for the delivery of legal rights to address a broader range of young people’s legal rights difficulties; including young people’s lack of legal rights knowledge.</p>

scholarly journals The Impact of Educational Intervention on Young People's Understanding of Legal Rights in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Julia Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
The Impact

<p>The Child and Young Persons version of the Rights Caution is read to young people to inform them of their legal rights during police arrest and questioning in New Zealand. Research to date suggests the way legal rights are currently delivered does not meet young people’s developmental needs, as young people do not understand their rights. This research aimed to examine: 1) the level of legal rights understanding among young people in New Zealand; 2) the relationship between age and understanding; and 3) whether understanding can be improved with a video-based educational intervention which provided young people with legal rights knowledge. In this study a community sample of young people (n = 99), aged 10 to 18-years, was used. Participants were assigned to two groups; one group received an educational video which provided legal rights knowledge, while the other received the legal rights as they are currently delivered in practice with the Child and Young Persons version of the Caution. Young people’s understanding of legal rights was then assessed in a semi-structured interview using the New Zealand Rights Caution Competency Questionnaire (Fortune et al., 2017). The results showed levels of understanding among this sample were low, with young people misunderstanding many parts of their legal rights. Regression analysis revealed age was a significant positive predictor of legal rights understanding, suggesting younger youth are most vulnerable to incomplete legal rights understanding. Regression analysis also revealed the educational video significantly improved young people’s understanding across a variety of legal rights abilities, including their ability to remember and apply legal rights in hypothetical legal scenarios. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed, alongside the need for the delivery of legal rights to address a broader range of young people’s legal rights difficulties; including young people’s lack of legal rights knowledge.</p>

scholarly journals Young People’s Knowledge and Understanding of the Youth Justice System in New Zealand: A Community Sample

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Phillippa Dean
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Antisocial Behaviour ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Developmental Level ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Fitness To Stand Trial ◽  
The Impact

<p>New Zealand (NZ) has a separate youth justice system that is designed to be responsive towards the developmental needs of young people that have engaged in antisocial behaviour. It is therefore essential that young people are ‘Fit to Stand Trial’ when legal proceedings are brought against them. A young person can be found legally unfit on the basis of ‘mental impairment’, and whilst this is undefined it largely overlooks the impact a young person's developmental level may have on their engagement with court processes. No research has examined young people’s understanding of the justice system in NZ. However, international research has demonstrated that those 13 years and younger are almost exclusively found unfit to stand trial due to their developmental level, whereas those 16 years and older tend to be found fit to stand trial. The legal capabilities of those aged 14 to 15 years are difficult to predict given the extensive developmental changes occurring around that age. The current research aimed to address three research questions: 1) is there a relationship between age and fitness to stand trial, 2) is there a relationship between IQ and fitness to stand trial, and 3) how does NZ research compare to international literature. Participants aged 13 to 18 were recruited from six schools around NZ (n = 89). They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview tool that was designed for this study to assess young people’s understanding of the justice process and fitness-related abilities. A brief measure of participant IQ was also taken. It was found that fitness-related abilities, such as knowledge and understanding, were positively associated with age and IQ, such that older participants and those with higher IQ scores performed better on this semi-structured interview. Attending a high decile school, and being female was also predictive of better performance. These findings indicate that developmental level—as indicated by age and IQ—impacts young people’s understanding and participation in the justice system. Therefore, the current legislative response to young people who offend does not sufficiently recognise the impact of a young person’s developmental capabilities.</p>

scholarly journals Young People’s Knowledge and Understanding of the Youth Justice System in New Zealand: A Community Sample

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Phillippa Dean
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Antisocial Behaviour ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Developmental Level ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Fitness To Stand Trial ◽  
The Impact

<p>New Zealand (NZ) has a separate youth justice system that is designed to be responsive towards the developmental needs of young people that have engaged in antisocial behaviour. It is therefore essential that young people are ‘Fit to Stand Trial’ when legal proceedings are brought against them. A young person can be found legally unfit on the basis of ‘mental impairment’, and whilst this is undefined it largely overlooks the impact a young person's developmental level may have on their engagement with court processes. No research has examined young people’s understanding of the justice system in NZ. However, international research has demonstrated that those 13 years and younger are almost exclusively found unfit to stand trial due to their developmental level, whereas those 16 years and older tend to be found fit to stand trial. The legal capabilities of those aged 14 to 15 years are difficult to predict given the extensive developmental changes occurring around that age. The current research aimed to address three research questions: 1) is there a relationship between age and fitness to stand trial, 2) is there a relationship between IQ and fitness to stand trial, and 3) how does NZ research compare to international literature. Participants aged 13 to 18 were recruited from six schools around NZ (n = 89). They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview tool that was designed for this study to assess young people’s understanding of the justice process and fitness-related abilities. A brief measure of participant IQ was also taken. It was found that fitness-related abilities, such as knowledge and understanding, were positively associated with age and IQ, such that older participants and those with higher IQ scores performed better on this semi-structured interview. Attending a high decile school, and being female was also predictive of better performance. These findings indicate that developmental level—as indicated by age and IQ—impacts young people’s understanding and participation in the justice system. Therefore, the current legislative response to young people who offend does not sufficiently recognise the impact of a young person’s developmental capabilities.</p>

scholarly journals Exploring experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young racially minoritised people in the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle Ann Burgess ◽  
Nancy Kanu ◽  
Tanya Matthews ◽  
Owen Mukotekwa ◽  
Amina Smith-Gul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
The Impact

Within high-income-countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted people from racially minoritised backgrounds. There has been significant research interrogating the disparate impact of the virus, and recently, interest in the long-term implications of the global crisis on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. However, less work explores the experiences of young people from racialised backgrounds as they navigate the pandemic, and the specific consequences this has for their mental health. Forty young people (age 16-25) from black, mixed and other minority backgrounds and living in London, participated in consecutive focus group discussions over a two-month period, to explore the impact of the pandemic on their lives and emotional wellbeing. Thematic analysis identified seven categories describing the impact of the pandemic, indicating: deepening of existing socioeconomic and emotional challenges; efforts to navigate racism and difference within the response; and survival strategies drawing on communal and individual resources. Young people also articulated visions for a future public health response which addressed gaps in current strategies. Findings point to the need to contextualize public health responses to the pandemic in line with the lived experiences of racialised young people. We specifically note the importance of long-term culturally and socio-politically relevant support interventions. Implications for policy and practice are discussed

scholarly journals Implementing the MY FRIENDS Youth programme in a New Zealand secondary school: The experiences of staff and Year 9 students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Laurence Fay
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
School Context ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Youth Resilience

<p>Increasing rates of young people’s anxiety and depression is a concern for New Zealand secondary schools and this results in issues for students such as decreased wellbeing and school attendance, health difficulties and social isolation. In 2013 the Ministry of Education introduced a pilot of the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme into secondary schools for students in Year 9. This thesis reports on the experiences of teachers and students of the MY FRIENDS Youth programme in one secondary school context. This programme is based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles and has been developed to support young people build their understanding and skills in resilience to enhance their wellbeing. The programme has been implemented and evaluated with young people in a number of countries. Research has shown it to have beneficial effects in promoting emotional resilience and in reducing anxiety and depression in students. The findings of this school case study are explored, and the impact of the programme for the students and their school community is presented. A case study methodological approach was used that enabled the collection of rich data to explore the deep meaning from teachers and students. This involved an in-depth instrumental case study within one secondary school involving teachers, students, the counsellor, the principal and students’ parents. Observations, document analysis and interviews took place to build a comprehensive understanding of how teachers and students learned through the programme. Findings suggest the students see the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme as a positive, useful programme that has enabled them to learn various strategies to deal with challenging scenarios in their life. The findings also address barriers to implementation and possible implications for the future. Several suggestions for the programme are discussed along with certain adaptations of the programme to make it more relevant to the New Zealand context.</p>

scholarly journals Acknowledging the struggle: Policy changes for state care leaving provisions

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerri Cleaver
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Vulnerable Populations ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Vulnerable Population ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
What Works ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
The Government

Neoliberalism is not kind to vulnerable populations. Care leavers as a vulnerable population have faired particularly poorly under successive governments. Policy and practice have maintained a position for decades in New Zealand where care leavers are responsible entirely for their own lives at the age of seventeen. This article reviews current literature, locally and internationally, in order to identify the needs of care leavers in the New Zealand context. It will question what is working already, what works elsewhere and how we might change the outcomes for these young people who have not chosen this path and yet appear to be punished through the government turning a blind eye

scholarly journals A Rapid Review and Narrative Synthesis of the Consequences of Non-Inclusive Sex Education in UK Schools on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Young People

2021 ◽  
pp. 105984052110433
Author(s):  
Beth Epps ◽  
Marianne Markowski ◽  
Karen Cleaver
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
School Teaching ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
The Impact

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in schools are predominantly heterocentric. Consequently, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning young people have reported feeling excluded. This exclusion results in feelings of being “different” and “other,” which in turn leads to further disengagement in the sex education classroom, contributing to poor sexual health literacy, greater risk of abusive relationships, and higher rates of sexually transmitted infections. A rapid review was undertaken to identify the impact of non-inclusive sex education. The review makes recommendations for policy and practice, which includes the provision of training courses to school teaching staff with an emphasis on inclusive RSE, appropriate online resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people, as well as offering 1:1 emotional health support for LGBTQ young people as they begin to question their sexual orientation.

Policy and practice supports for young people transitioning from out-of-home care: An analysis of six recent inquiries in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mendes ◽  
Samone McCurdy
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
The Impact

Summary Government and parliamentary inquiries into child protection have historically exerted a significant impact on policy and practice reform. Yet to date, there has been no analysis of the impact of such inquiries on programme and service supports for young people transitioning from out-of-home care (often termed leaving care). This article uses a content analysis methodology to critically examine and compare the findings of six recent Australian child protection inquiries (five at state and territory level and one Commonwealth) in relation to their discrete sections on leaving care. Attention is drawn to how the policy issue is framed including key terminology, the major concerns identified, the local and international research evidence cited and the principal sources of information including whether or not priority is given to the lived experience of care leavers. Findings All six inquiries identified major limitations in leaving care legislation, policy and practice including poor outcomes in key areas such as housing, education and employment. There was a consensus that post-18 assistance should be expanded, and most of the reports agreed that greater attention should be paid to the specific cultural needs of the large number of Indigenous care leavers. Applications Care leavers universally are a vulnerable group; leaving care policy should be informed by the lived experience and expertise of care leavers; governments have a responsibility to provide ongoing supports beyond 18 years of age, particularly in areas such as housing and education, training and employment

Moving from dependence to independence: A study of the experiences of 18 care leavers in a leaving care and after care support service in Victoria

2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mendes
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
After Care ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rural Policy ◽  
Significant Health ◽  
Care Support

Young people leaving state out-of-home care are arguably one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society. Many have been found to experience significant health, social and educational deficits. In recent years, most Australian States and Territories have introduced specialist leaving care and after care programs and supports, but there has been only limited examination of the effectiveness of these programs. This paper examines the experiences of a group of young people involved in the leaving care and after care support program introduced by St Luke's Anglicare and Whitelion in the Victorian town of Bendigo. Attention is drawn to the impact of some of the key program initiatives around accommodation, employment and mentoring. Some conclusions are drawn about ‘what works’ in leaving care programs, including particular implications for rural policy and practice.

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