Criminalising processes at the intersection of policing and residential care

Corrales, T., Paterson-Young, C., Warren, I., Ryan, E. and McNamara, P. (2025) Criminalising processes at the intersection of policing and residential care. Journal of Criminology. 2633-8076.

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20657:62486

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Corrales_et_al_2025_Criminalising_processes_at_the_intersection_of_policing_and_residential_care
Corrales_et_al_2025_Criminalising_processes_at_the_intersection_of_policing_and_residential_care.pdf - Published Version
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Abstract:

Over-reliance on police by Out-Of-Home Care (OOHC) service providers is a key contributor to the criminalisation of children in care. Drawing on interviews across judicial, legal, youth justice and children's advocacy sectors in New South Wales, Victoria, and England and Wales, we propose a conceptual model which explains the criminalisation of trauma via policing and residential care policies that emphasise risk mitigation, and which are currently devoid of therapeutic practice. Criminalisation of trauma is contingent on surveillant assemblages positioning vulnerable children as risks to themselves, others, and property. This approach justifies criminalising responses with deleterious impacts on children and staff within both systems. We discuss the need for systemic reform that shifts from perceptions of children in residential care as “risks” that need to be managed via carceral logics. We argue the case for a system that instead emphasises the importance of therapeutic responses for vulnerable children and families involved in child protection and OOHC systems.

Additional Information:

The project on which this article is based received the following ethics approvals: Monash University (Project ID: 37044), the University of Northampton and the Judicial Review Board (U.K.).

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Policing, out-of-home care, dual-system impacted children, criminalisation of children

Creators:

Corrales, T., Paterson-Young, C., Warren, I., Ryan, E. and McNamara, P.

Faculties, Divisions and Institutes:

Research Institutes > Institute for Social Innovation and Impact

Date:

2 July 2025

Date Type:

Publication

Journal or Publication Title:

Journal of Criminology

Number of Pages:

Language:

English

ISSN:

2633-8076

Status:

Published / Disseminated

Refereed:

Yes