He engaged readily in classes and was proud of the work he completed. Zac loved a chat and could sometimes be a little overconfident for the situation he was in.
He caught public transport to his learning setting each day, and had already had a few altercations with groups of older boys on the train.
One day, he came into class distressed and angry. He’d been caught travelling without a valid ticket after being encouraged to do so by some of the boys at the station. The ticket inspector had been unsympathetic, and did not appreciate Zac’s enthusiasm for name calling and verbal arguments.
Zac had received a fine for travelling without a ticket and seemed confused about what follow up was going to happen after his apparent outburst towards the ticket inspector. After Zac had calmed down, we talked about the choices he had made and worked out a plan to move forwards.
We agreed that he could have made other, better choices before getting on the train. We also decided that together we would write a letter to explain the situation and apologise to the inspector.
Independently, Zac did not have the reading and writing skills to compose an apology. He needed support to read the fine and to find the best email address to use for his letter. We sat and talked about what to say, and how to use a simple, step by step approach to solve problems.
In the end, the fine was waived and there was no further action taken about his outburst. Zac learnt some important lessons that day, and the support he received from his learning team meant he could move forwards from the situation.
It’s all too easy to call for ‘tough on crime’ responses that do little to address the underlying factors which can lead to young people such as Zac offending.
Children and young adults who have a cognitive disability are much more susceptible to being led in situations where they make dangerous choices.
Sometimes these choices can have life changing outcomes, such as when they are coerced by a criminal into committing serious crimes – far more serious than travelling without a ticket on the train.
Tech tools have made it easier for criminals to engage with vulnerable young people online, leading them towards dangerous situations with the promise of easy money.
Young people who have an intellectual disability or acquired brain injury can find it challenging to predict consequences and use judgement to weigh up pros and cons.
They may respond quickly to information, make rapid decisions and act impulsively. In Zac’s case, he had support around him so he could use adult input to write a letter, make a different choice and interact with a large and confusing system.
Without that support, the situation for Zac would likely have been very different.
We know that young people with cognitive disability are vastly over represented in the justice system. Research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2018 found people with disability made up 29 per cent of the prison population in Australia, despite accounting for just 18 per cent of the general population.
The Australian Centre for Disability Law estimates that 95 per cent of First Nations people who are charged with a crime and appear in court have a cognitive impairment or mental illness.
Behaviours that are associated with a disability as well as the challenge of dealing with a lengthy, complex and confusing justice system mean that vulnerable young people are far more likely to become a part of that system in their adult lives.
For young people like Zac, the ability to seek help and be supported in an early interaction with authority meant he could continue in his education journey rather than moving into a different, and far less positive world.
He could continue to see himself as a learner, and as teachers, we could adjust our community program to make sure he developed the skills and knowledge he needed to be a successful young adult.
Working on skills like step by step problem solving and communication as well as building a strong network of adult supporters in his life meant that ultimately Zac completed his course.
He continued studying and found work experience where his enthusiasm and energy had an outlet and he felt valued and important.
Oh, that other young people are so fortunate.
