CHILDREN FROM the poorest parts of Dublin are almost 30 times more likely to end up in the criminal justice system compared with those from other parts of the capital, research shows.
A study of the addresses of children who appeared in the Children's Court in 2004 shows that the majority of young people were drawn from a handful of largely disadvantaged postal districts in Dublin.
Of the sample of children studied, 25 per cent had an address in Dublin 1 (north inner city) or Dublin 11 (Finglas), while 13 per cent lived in Dublin 24 (Tallaght) and 8 per cent were from Dublin 22 (Clondalkin).
In contrast, just 0.5 per cent had an address in Dublin 4 (Donnybrook/Ballbridge) or Dublin 14 (Dundrum/ Rathfarnham), 1 per cent were based in Dublin 6 (Ranelagh/Rathmines) and 1.4 per cent were from Dublin 18 (Foxrock/Sandyford).
The findings are based on a sample of 220 children who appeared before the Children's Court in 2004 and are contained in The Children's Court - A National Study by the Association for Criminal Research and Development.
The research shows this trend is not confined to Dublin, with the majority of cases outside the capital drawn from deprived urban areas such as Mayfield and Mahon in Cork and Moyross, St Mary's Park and Southill in Limerick. It also shows that the typical profile of a young offender is that of a young male who lives with just one parent and comes from a home where there is a high chance of drug or alcohol abuse. Most young offenders have fallen out of mainstream education and never completed their Junior Certificate.
In its recommendations, the report says young people at risk of offending are easily identifiable and recommends that State agencies focus on intervention and family support before they become involved with the criminal justice system.
Groups working with marginalised young people say much more needs to be done to support disadvantaged communities through projects such as early childhood eduction, family support and breakfast clubs.
Fr Tony O'Riordan of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, who works with young people at risk on a daily basis, says tackling underlying factors such as poverty is vital.
"Children in disadvantaged areas are acutely aware that they don't have the same pathways of opportunity that others have. They are disadvantaged from the beginning and we need to address that," he said.
Dr Ursula Kilkelly, a law lecturer and member of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, said children in trouble needed to be offered meaningful alternatives to detention, such as community sanctions. Children also should have equal access to projects such as Garda diversion, which are aimed at giving children another chance of avoiding a criminal record.
