If punishment and detention-based responses to youth crime aren’t working, we need to find other and better ways.

Over the past few weeks some local media have tried to advance the narrative of a surge in youth crime. Such a narrative – underpinned by cherry-picked data – is grist for a media mill which demands a ‘tough on crime’ response from our government.

It’s disappointing, it’s predictable and most importantly of all, it’s very far away from the long-term policy and strategy discussions our society needs to be having to address our failings in caring for all children.

A full analysis of the data provides a very different lens through which to view youth offending and its consequences – and which should also continue to inform our broader and more compassionate conversations on better outcomes.

Rather than youth offending increasing, in fact it has been coming down.

Since 2008, youth offending has halved and the number of young people in detention has come down by 35........

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