Abstract
Aboriginal youth are overrepresented within Victoria’s criminal justice system (Cunneen, 2020). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are diverse people with diverse needs: It is imperative to understand what those needs are and how they can be supported within Victoria’s youth justice centres. Research has identified that Aboriginal youth in Victoria’s justice system have higher rates of psychopathology (Shepherd et al., 2018), higher rates of recidivism (Cunneen, 2008), higher pre-custody rates and post-release rates of substance abuse (Joudo, 2008) and lower rates of rehabilitation (Thompson et al., 2014) than non-Indigenous counterparts. It is critical to explore how the Victorian youth justice system identifies and implements the provision of services that consider lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, sistergirl and brotherboy (LGBTIQSB+) identities of Aboriginal youth in custody. This is because additional levels of systemic disadvantage, discrimination, stigma, and social exclusion that impact LGBTIQ+ youth specifically (Cunneen, Goldson, & Russell, 2016) as well as Aboriginal identity, further compound and jeopardize the social and emotional wellbeing of those embodying intersectional identities. This article will examine the services available to Aboriginal LGBTIQSB+ youth in the Victorian criminal justice system. Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Indigenous and First Nations People will be used interchangeably throughout this document.
Highlights
The purpose of this article is to explore the services and/or programs for Aboriginal Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Sistergirl and Brotherboy (LGBTIQSB+) youth in Victoria’s juvenile criminal justice system
It is rarely seen in any documents on justice related outcomes, that intersectionality exists within the space of Aboriginal LGBTIQSB+ youth, the thematic analysis explored sections of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Indigenous, LGBTIQ(+), sexuality, youth, young people/person, juvenile, mental health, social and emotional wellbeing
This article provides a foundational exploration and understanding of the social and emotional wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQSB+ youth engaged with the criminal justice system in Victoria
Summary
The purpose of this article is to explore the services and/or programs for Aboriginal Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Sistergirl and Brotherboy (LGBTIQSB+) youth in Victoria’s juvenile criminal justice system. Sistergirl and Brotherboy refer to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People in the community. This article provides a background into the overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth in the Victorian youth justice system as well as an overview of the historical context and the impact of colonisation. The article will explore the importance of social and emotional wellbeing in Aboriginal cultures, mental health, intersectionality and servicing the needs of Aboriginal LGBTIQSB+ youth throughout the Victorian juvenile and criminal justice system. The authors of this article have deliberately chosen the literature, where possible, to cite Aboriginal scholarly work and centre lived experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQSB+ people. The conscious decision to undertake this methodological approach prioritises sovereignty of this topic
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