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Naming and shaming juveniles “medieval”: expert
Plans to name and shame young offenders on the internet are “medieval” and will
be counter-productive, RMIT University juvenile justice expert Associate Professor
Julian Bondy says.
Child offenders as young as 14 could be named and shamed on the internet under
new laws in Western Australia aimed at curbing anti-social behaviour.
Magistrates would be given powers to authorise the publication of the name and
photo of offenders aged 14 or over, with the state then able to upload the person's
identity and crime onto a website.
“Public shaming initiatives are counter-productive and a little bit medieval – it’s
basically the modern-day equivalent of putting people in the stocks,” Associate
Professor Bondy said.
“The research shows it’s only effective in very specific circumstances and these do
not include simply producing a ‘rogues gallery’ for public pillory.
“In the contexts where shaming has been used successfully in assisting
reintegration, it has included the close and active involvement of people who
respect and care most about the offender throughout the entire process.
“This appears entirely absent from what is being proposed in Western Australia.
“The emphasis for young offenders is rehabilitation rather than retribution, which is
the basis for the laws preventing the identification of minors.”
“The point is to give young people a chance to change direction, to support them in
moving away from criminal and anti-social behaviour, which public shaming will not
help to achieve.”
Associate Professor Bondy published extensively in the field of criminal justice and
juvenile crime.
He has researched knives and violence in the community, the reasons why young
people carry bladed weapons and evaluations of strategies to reduce re-offending.
Associate Professor Bondy is available for interview on juvenile crime and the
issues related to the naming and shaming of young offenders.
For interviews: RMIT University’s Associate Professor Julian Bondy, (03)
9925 2293 or 0411 260 866.
For general media enquiries: RMIT University Communications, Gosia
Kaszubska, (03) 9925 3176 or 0417 510 735.
2 December, 2009
NEWS 
