Introduction
In the past recent years, there has been a remarkable marginalization of many young people and their subsequent communities in many parts of the world; leading to the disintegration of different social institutions in many countries. As a result of this, there have been remarkable youth crimes and mass actions conducted by these marginalized communities advocating for their recognition in society. This conflict mainly between the police and these minority youths as Cunneen (2002) explains, has been caused by the unequal distribution of the country’s resources; the pursuit of social networks and the massive youth unemployment which lead to these youths engaging in crime so as to earn a living.
In the pursuit of making ends meet; Cunneen (2002) has observed that these youths end up engaging in various anti-social activities both locally and internationally; as a result of police alienations and such side-lined communities. In fact most of these communities that have been in continuous alienations with the police springs out inadequate economical welfare, to enhance their ability to afford a living and thus due to the lack of the ability to purchase the things they want; they end up taking other people’s property to an extent of even applying force.
This tendency of the young people loitering everywhere in social and public places like town streets, market places and shopping malls among others; in the search of social connections have been observed in many parts of the world as Wash (2008) has observed. The extents to which these youths engage in crimes searching for economic and social welfare vary greatly from one region to another, depending on the national context.
More so, as Wash argues (2008) it has been observed for years there exists a diversity of youths from various cultural backgrounds and sub-cultural forms; as well as gangs of young people which lead to the long-term existence of these conflicts between the state and such marginalized groups. Most importantly the concentration of poor people in various places of the countries in the world has played a big role in allowing for the formation of such youth groups; as a move to fight for the rights of the poor people in such countries who seem to be neglected by the government.
Case Study of Marginalized youths in Australia
In the entire Australian community, Aboriginal people are considered to be the most side-lined people who are portrayed to be the most culturally suffering community among the Australians. Though no precise data has been gathered to show national gangsters in Australia; the emerging youth groups are coming together forming small gangs which seem to threaten the state. As Blagg (2005) argues the suffering undergone by these people in Australia is far rooted in colonialism in the country back in the year 1797. More so, other academicians like Walsh (2008) further expound on this marginalization of Aboriginal people, especially the youths, which has resulted in their alienation from the Australian police. In fact, there is a general spread of information concerning gangs formation among the minority youths in Sydney, which has led to the entire public awareness of an alarming youth gang formation in Australia. Following various youth violence and regular announcements by politicians on ‘threatening youth rise’ as well the high possession of weapons by these Arboginal youths as Walsh (2008) asserts.
Particularly, youth alienations with the police in Australia have been an outstanding issue that has negatively impacted the Australian administrative system for a long time. More precisely, the historical impacts of Arboginal youth’s marginalization by the government as Cuneen (2001) puts it remains the key factor that these youths in Australia have been constantly in bad relationships with the police in the country. As it has also been observed, despite the existing myths and traditions concerning these youth gangs in Australia currently, three intercession issues stand out definitely.
Firstly, the notion that these youth gangs exist is posing a great danger to the community in Sydney; leading to generations of actions in many parts of the city like the formation of policies geared to nation-building in the country as Blagg (2008) argues. The government seems to ignore such actions by these young gangs and for a long time, the little children in Arboginal community have grown knowing that the police were people’s enemies in which this notion leads to the development of strong hatred towards the police by young people as Cueneen (2002) puts it.
More so, many analysts in both economical and social conditions in the Arboginal community have for long been poor; which has intrinsically led to a potential increment in the gang-related behaviors as it has been observed of late. In this perspective, therefore, as Walsh (2008) asserts, action is required from the government so as to curb this young gang group’s growth, which threatens the peace of the country leading to a higher degree of racialization.
Racial discrimination among Australian society as explained by Blagg (2008) was initiated by the colonialists in the country back in the year 1787 has adversely affected the state of peace between the Australian police and the Arboginal youths. gangs in most parts of Sydney has been observed with the minority youths from Arboginal ethnic group; being the main subjects which in the long run is feared that would lead to mass actions by these youths. In this respect, therefore, both political and social issues need to be considered through the involvement of the police and the general community in gang-related behaviors so as to curb any national calamity that seems to be growing in the grassroots threatening the smooth-running of state affairs.
Generally, the big question is how to deal with this fast-growing youth gang’s formation; but not merely on the formation of anti-gang groups in which is the category, the police fall into.
Strategies for solving youth gang development in Sydney
The strategies devised should be clearly scrutinized by looking at both the harmful and beneficial sides, so as not to lead to further problems in the process of solving this gang problem in Australia. It has further been evaluated that the formation of youth anti-gang programs in Australia has not been effective enough to curb this gang development among youths, nor the enacting of laws against youth gangs has been found to work. Meanwhile, as Cuneen (2002) argues the government has put various strategies in action have been imposed to minimize the formations of these youth groups in Arboginal community which continuously threaten the country’s state of peace.
First, the introduction of community collaborations with the police has been observed to minimize the tension that has been building over time between these youths and the police. This is best explained by Hagg (2008) where he asserts that there would be low risks of the Arboginal youths interfering with the Australian state of peace if the government collaborated with this community. In this strategy, the youths would be made aware of the negative effects of the formations of gangs and sharing of information; how to unite as a community would be made as the communities collaborate.
Secondly, Bragg (2005) deduced that activities that can help to prevent crimes should be developed so as to engage youths in various constructive activities, reducing their chances of uniting to engage in crimes. Generally, the modification of the environments, as well as opportunities among these youths, would lead to a significant solution to calamities that could have resulted from the unity of these youths in committing crimes. Potential opportunities to engage these youths in productive activities should also be enhanced; so as to ensure the youths don’t stay idle and engage themselves in crimes.
Further, as Collins (2000) asserts the Australian police should use suppression tactics to discourage the Arboginal youths from engaging in the formation of gangs, which in the long run may lead to the engagement of these youths in crimes. Street and market places idling among youths should also be discouraged through the use of laws and regulations in Sydney city. Collin’s (2000) argument was further reinforced by Cunneen (2002) when he argued on the proactive and massive involvement of the police to discourage such behaviors among the Arboginal youths by sweeping them out of Sydney streets.
Lastly, in some other circumstances, it would also be of great importance to involve coercive measures to curb the groups of youths forming gangs that have been got red-handed. In this strategy, as it was put by Bragg (2008), the high visibility police patrols would be involved in stopping and searching for alleged crew members in the pursuit of arresting them afterward. Regular curfews in the suspected areas should also be enforced where ordinances would be restricted at the suspected areas during specific times.
Parties involved in negotiating approach for the towards solving youth marginalization
A negotiating approach towards solving the development of the youth gangs and anti-social groups involves more of talking and discussing matters; than the enacting of laws and regulations. More specifically, a deeper conversation on how the conflict between the minority and majority youths would be conducted to examine the causes of such conflict, and the ultimate solutions capable of saving the situation.
First, various community leaders should conduct various seminars and public talks with the youths in which various solutions to many problems experienced by the youths like unemployment would be brought into awareness as proposed by Collins (2000). More so, Blagg (2008) proposed that community leaders including the church leaders, regions administrators and development group leaders among others should ensure a consensus between the police and the youths; so as to prevent any chances of gang development among the youths. In this respect, for instance, the Australian government has constantly involved the various community leaders to talk to the youths, so as to ensure that they don’t involve themselves further in the formation of gang groups.
More so, Chan (2000) comments that government officers should be actively involved in negotiating with the youths on matters concerning youth development. This process is meant to determine the needs of such youths so as to engage themselves in more productive ways; through the creation of the necessary resources capable of making the youths busy so as not to idle and engage themselves in various crimes. This will be meant to explore and address the issues of national identity belonging to young people.
Lastly, according to Bragg (2008), the minority Arboginal youths in Australia should organize regular meetings with youths from minority regions; so as to establish a common understanding of life and come up with the right strategies to be involved in solving the problems faced by the youths within marginalized areas. This would help very much to a great extent; as these youths will establish some kind of unity among themselves leading to low chances of youths from marginalized groups forming gangs
Conclusion
Generally, as it has been observed in many parts of the world; various strategies have been brought into action towards the reduction of youth crimes and deviances so as not to interfere with national and international peace. According to overseas program implementation on criminology, the importance of the evaluation of youth groups was addressed and various interventions were made; so as to ensure a successful minimization of youth crimes as a result of marginalization.
Reference list
Blagg, H. 2008. Crime, Aboriginality and the Decolonisation of Justice. Annandale: Hawkins Press.
Blagg, H. and Wilkie, M. 1995. Young people and police powers, Sydney: Australian Youth Foundation.
Chan, C. & Cunneen, C. 2000. Evaluation of the implementation of the New South Wales Police Service Aboriginal strategic plan. Sydney: Institute of Criminology Publications.
Collins, J., Noble, G., Poynting, S. & Tabar, P. 2000. Kebabs, Kids, Cops & Crime: youth, ethnicity & crime. Sydney: Pluto Press.
Cunneen, C. & White, R. 2002. Juvenile Justice: youth and crime in Australia. Melbourne: Oxford University Press
Cuneen, C. 2001. Conflict, politics and crime: Aboriginal communities and the Police, Sydney: Allen and Unwin Publishers.
Poyting, S., Nobe, G., Tabar, P. and Collins, J. 2004. Bin Laden in the suburbs, Sydney: Federation Press.
Walsh, T. 2008. Policing disadvantage: Giving voice to those affected by the Politics of law and disorder, Alternative Law Journal, 33(3): 160-164. New York: Harvard Press.
Weatherburn, D. 2006. Riots, policing and social disadvantage: Learning from the Riots in Macquarie Fields and Redfern: Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 18(1):20-31. Annandale: Hawkins Press.
White, R. and Alder, C. 1994. The police and young people in Australia, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.