ANU Hansen Scandinavian Friendship Research Grant 2023

This exploratory study will add significantly to the Australian evidence base in an area that has been underexplored yet appears to be identified as a significant issue of concern. At present the National Children's Commissioner in Australia has undertaken a national study on youth justice and child protection, this proposed study will be of interest nationally at a key time. It will provide contemporary insights from Norway on alternative pathways, on diversion of children away from the youth justice system, on what support mechanisms can be beneficial to support children to desist from involvement in crime and violence, and also provide insights for legislators and policymakers on the practical and legal mechanisms which have worked in Norway when it raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 15-years-old in 1990.