UCC Irish Research Council Report on Evidence Based Youth Justice launched by Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth

26 Sep 2022

Commissioned by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and funded by the Irish Research Council, the research is an inter-disciplinary study of the leading evidence of children’s pathways in and out of offending. 

On Monday 26^th September 2022, the report ‘Ensuring the collaborative reform of youth justice in Ireland in line with international research and evidence-based approaches’, commissioned by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and funded by the Irish Research Council, was launched. Led by Principal Investigator Professor Ursula Kilkelly of the School of Law, the research is an inter-disciplinary study of the leading evidence of children’s pathways in and out of offending. Taking a children’s rights approach, the study distils the leading research evidence on youth justice while involving children themselves and analysing data from the Growing up in Ireland longitudinal study. The research was co-authored by Professor Kilkelly with Dr Louise Forde (now Brunel University London), Dr Sharon Lambert (Applied Psychology, UCC), Dr Katharina Swirak (Criminology, UCC), Dr Emma Hurley (now Quality Matters) and researchers Deirdre Kelleher, UCC and Siobhan Buckley, Maynooth University. The study’s inter-disciplinary and mixed method approach was especially important in the findings reached.

The key findings of the study are that children who come into conflict with the law have a range of complex needs and circumstances that must be taken into account to avoid them becoming more deeply involved in the justice system. These derive from inter-connected personal, family and community characteristics all of which can prove protective as well as harmful for children in this context.  In terms of learning for policy makers, prevention (through the provision of universal supports and services for children) and diversion (especially involving families and communities) are essential. Treating children in conflict with the law as children is also vital and the study makes a strong case for involving children in research of this kind both as participants and as researcher partners.  It also highlights the value of children participating in ongoing reviews of youth justice policy.

The study was funded by an Irish Research Council COALESCE grant, in partnership with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The study was an excellent example of a partnership approach between researchers and policy makers that works to mutual benefit and the authors would like to thank colleagues in the Department of Children Research and Evaluation Unit for their support throughout the project.

The report was launched during a Research Club organised by the DCEDIY on Monday 26^th September 2022, during which Professor Ursula Kilkelly will present and discuss the study.

Click here to read the report in full: Kilkelly et al Ensuring the Collaborative Reform of Youth Justice.pdf

Click here to read 'A Review of Progress Achieved and Lessons Learned': https://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/A_Look_Back_at_Tackling_Youth_Crime.pdf/Files/A_Look_Back_at_Tackling_Youth_Crime.pdf