We can't go shopping without police coming': north Queensland’s at-risk youth feel excluded and heavily surveilled

[Extract] Youth crime in Australia has been the subject of sensationalist media coverage and growing community concern, particularly in north Queensland. We wanted to understand the experiences of young people in north Queensland who were involved in the juvenile justice system, or at imminent risk of becoming so, through their own eyes, and use the findings to improve local services. We worked with a partner organisation that runs an after-hours diversionary service for young people 10-17 years old. This service supports those who are engaged in crime or are at high risk of doing so, by engaging them in activities such as educational sessions, sports, arts and craft, and outings to the park. We found young people using this service often felt under heavy surveillance in public spaces, felt excluded from the community, and felt physically, emotionally and culturally unsafe on public streets. These young people wanted to feel safe and included in the community, but often felt the opposite