Juvenile justiceAdministration ofNew South Wales.Juvenile delinquentsRehabilitationThis study examines the process of Youth Justice Conferencing in New South Wales within the context of the theory and aims of the restorative justice movement. Analysis of relevant literature and theory suggests that restorative justice is a broad and encompassing movement that entails a decision making process where victims, communities and offenders come together in a joint response to an offence. Although this breadth has allowed and encouraged a proliferation of programs that respond to particular needs and particular demands of culture and social context, the consequence is that both understandings and practices of restorative justices are variable. When theoretical understandings are so varied there will necessarily be a lack of commonality in the way principles are articulated. If practice is not linked directly to principled theory it is inevitable that processes will be vulnerable at all levels to the interaction between context, situations and participant characteristics that may easily deflect the focus from the true purpose of restorative justice. This thesis attempts to clarify the restorative principles relevant to the NSW program with reference to Braithwaite and Pettit???s republican theory (1990) and their notion of dominion. In turn these principles are used to identify five practical elements to be used as a framework to guide youth conferences. Such a framework highlights potential areas for improvement in conference preparation and practice. A case study approach was used to collect data and involved the observation of eighty five Youth Justice Conferences in three New South Wales conferencing regions. As well, one hundred and fifty two currently practising Youth Justice Conferencing practitioners (Police, Conveners, Managers) in New South Wales completed a mail out questionnaire. Findings from the study suggest that conference processes are influenced by the presence or absence of five particular elements: the attendance of victims, the attendance of communities, the attendance of offender support, reparation to victims, communities and offenders and the experience of non-domination during the conference space. However, findings also suggest that ???situational??? factors may mediate these key elements to enhance or compromise the overall process. This thesis suggests that many of the issues arising in NSW conferences result from the failure to articulate the links between restorative justice theory and practice. While in NSW such links may intentionally have been unarticulated in order to encourage a freedom within the process, in reality the lack of clarification has led to a freedom in discretion that sometimes diminishes the chance of success. Therefore it proposes the need for a more articulated translation of theory into principles that will in turn frame practice. In this way the thesis uses the normative theory proposed by Braithwaite and Pettit (1990) to provide an explanatory and ideal framework for best practice in NSW Youth Justice Conferencing.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-200).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical reference (leaf 166-173).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong kong, 1990.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 28, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

O presente trabalho investigou a relação entre a baixa escolaridade e a prática de atos infracionais, procurando entender alguns fatores associados ao fracasso escolar de adolescentes que passaram pela Vara da Infância e da Juventude de Duque de Caxias. Em especial, buscou entender o fenômeno da exclusão social como elemento relevante relacionado ao tema fracasso escolar: em que medida é possível afirmar que a baixa escolaridade coloca estes adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade em relação a práticas ilícitas? Os dados da pesquisa foram obtidos por meio de um questionário e de entrevistas aplicados aos adolescentes infratores seus responsáveis. No total, a pesquisa trabalhou com as respostas de 262 adolescentes infratores que tiveram passagem pela Justiça Infanto-Juvenil de Duque de Caxias, no período compreendido entre maio de 2006 e maio de 2008. Esta pesquisa teve por base principal as idéias de Maria Helena Patto, a respeito da construção do fracasso escolar; Miriam Abramovay, com sua contribuição sobre vulnerabilidade social; Aldaíza Spozati e Miguel Arroyo, que alertam para as questões relacionadas ao acesso, permanência, sucesso e não-fracasso na escola; Alex Eduardo Gallo e Lúcia Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Williams, a respeito do perfil dos adolescentes infratores. A pesquisa revelou que a baixa escolaridade coloca os adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social e que a escola pode ser um fator de proteção à criminalidade. / This paper aims to investigate the relationship between low education and the practice of illegal acts, trying to understand the factors that determine school failure of some adolescents, such as social and educational inequalities, and to what extent it can be said that the low level of education puts these adolescents in situations of vulnerability relating to malpractice. It was sought to understand the phenomenon of social exclusion as an important issue related to school failure. The theoretical information were compared with data obtained by the results of applying a semi-structured questionnaire, which was applied to 262 juvenile delinquents who passed by Children and Youth Justice in Duque de Caxias, in the period between May 2006 and May 2008. This research was based on the main ideas of Helena Maria Patto, regarding the construction of school failure; Miriam Abramovay, with its contribution on social vulnerability; Aldaíza Spozati and Miguel Arroyo, with a warning about issues related to access, retention, success and non-failure, Alex Eduardo Gallo and Lúcia Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Williams, about the profile of juvenile delinquents. The survey showed that poor education puts teenagers in situations of social vulnerability and the school can be a protective factor against crime.

O presente trabalho investigou a relação entre a baixa escolaridade e a prática de atos infracionais, procurando entender alguns fatores associados ao fracasso escolar de adolescentes que passaram pela Vara da Infância e da Juventude de Duque de Caxias. Em especial, buscou entender o fenômeno da exclusão social como elemento relevante relacionado ao tema fracasso escolar: em que medida é possível afirmar que a baixa escolaridade coloca estes adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade em relação a práticas ilícitas? Os dados da pesquisa foram obtidos por meio de um questionário e de entrevistas aplicados aos adolescentes infratores seus responsáveis. No total, a pesquisa trabalhou com as respostas de 262 adolescentes infratores que tiveram passagem pela Justiça Infanto-Juvenil de Duque de Caxias, no período compreendido entre maio de 2006 e maio de 2008. Esta pesquisa teve por base principal as idéias de Maria Helena Patto, a respeito da construção do fracasso escolar; Miriam Abramovay, com sua contribuição sobre vulnerabilidade social; Aldaíza Spozati e Miguel Arroyo, que alertam para as questões relacionadas ao acesso, permanência, sucesso e não-fracasso na escola; Alex Eduardo Gallo e Lúcia Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Williams, a respeito do perfil dos adolescentes infratores. A pesquisa revelou que a baixa escolaridade coloca os adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social e que a escola pode ser um fator de proteção à criminalidade. / This paper aims to investigate the relationship between low education and the practice of illegal acts, trying to understand the factors that determine school failure of some adolescents, such as social and educational inequalities, and to what extent it can be said that the low level of education puts these adolescents in situations of vulnerability relating to malpractice. It was sought to understand the phenomenon of social exclusion as an important issue related to school failure. The theoretical information were compared with data obtained by the results of applying a semi-structured questionnaire, which was applied to 262 juvenile delinquents who passed by Children and Youth Justice in Duque de Caxias, in the period between May 2006 and May 2008. This research was based on the main ideas of Helena Maria Patto, regarding the construction of school failure; Miriam Abramovay, with its contribution on social vulnerability; Aldaíza Spozati and Miguel Arroyo, with a warning about issues related to access, retention, success and non-failure, Alex Eduardo Gallo and Lúcia Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Williams, about the profile of juvenile delinquents. The survey showed that poor education puts teenagers in situations of social vulnerability and the school can be a protective factor against crime.