Deterring drivers : An initiative to reduce car theft and joyriding by young people in Townsville ...

• Main Authors: Dodd, Shannon, Morgan, Matthew, Dillon, Anthony William Oswald, Lawton, Luke, Harfield, Clive Geoffrey
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Catholic University 2023
• Subjects: car theft; joyriding; young people; community-based; intervention; First Nations
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26199/acu.8z9v6; https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8z9v6/deterring-drivers-an-initiative-to-reduce-car-theft-and-joyriding-by-young-people-in-townsville

The Deterring Drivers program is a pilot initiative that aims to better understand the motivations of young people who engage, or are at risk of engaging, in car theft and joyriding and to deter them from these activities in the future. Developed by a team of researchers with collective expertise in criminology, policing, road safety, psychology, and medicine/health, the program is designed for young people aged 13-17 years, with a specific focus on at-risk First Nations youth. Participants in the program attend a one-day weekly session for six consecutive weeks. Each session begins with an educational talk delivered by an expert in medicine, policing, or psychology, together with talks delivered by crime victims. Considering research that shows that joyriding participants give little thought to the inherent dangers of these activities (Dawes, 2002), the aim of these sessions is to educate young people about the dangers of car theft and joyriding and to enhance levels of empathy for victims of crime and the ...