Youth, Ethnicity and Crime in Sydney

Funding: 2000: $80,104
2001: $32,958

Project Member(s): Collins, J.

Funding or Partner Organisation: City of Canterbury (City of Canterbury Patner Funds)
Fairfield City Council (Fairfield City Council Partnership Fund)
Rockdale City Council
Blacktown City Council (Blacktown City Council Partnership Funding)
NSW Ethnic Affairs Commission (NSW Ethnic Affairs Commission (Project))
Australian Research Council (ARC SPIRT (Strategic Partnerships with Industry Re)

Start year: 2000

Summary: This project investigates the complex relationships between youth, ethnicity and crime in Sydney. "Ethnic crime", particularly by youth gangs, has attracted great controversy after events in Lakemba and Bankstown in 1998. Local government organisations and ethnic community groups want to untangle the myths and the realities related to ethnic youth crime and develop appropriate and effective policy responses. This research project will consider social perceptions and media reportage of ethnic crime alongside the experience of ethnic youth. The perspectives of other community stakeholders will also be investigated. New policy initiatives will be developed.

Publications:

Collins, J 2005, 'From Beirut to Bankstown: The Lebanese Diaspora in Multicultural Australia' in Tabar, P (ed), Lebanese diaspora : history, racism and belonging, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon, pp. 187-211.

Poynting, S, Noble, G, Tabar, P & Collins, J 2004, Bin Laden in the suburbs: criminalising the Arab other., The Federation Press, Sydney, Australia.

Collins, J 2003, 'Ethnic crimes and cultural diversity: perceptions and experience of gangs, crime and community safety in multicultural Sydney', International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations, vol. 3, pp. 1-25.

Collins, J 2003, 'Ethnic crime and cultural diversity: Perceptions and experiences of gangs, crime and community safety in multicultural Sydney', Third Diversity Conference, --, Hawaii, USA.

Collins, J 2003, 'Immigrant crime in Europe and Australia: Rational or racialised responses?', The Challenges of Immigration and Integration in the European Union and Australia, --, Sydney, Australia.

Collins, J 2002, 'Arab Entrepreneurs in Australia' in Arab-Australians Today: Citizenship and Belonging, Melbourne University Press, Carlton South VIC, Australia, pp. 92-127.

Noble, G & Tabar, P 2002, 'On being Lebanese-Australian: hybridity, essentialism and strategy among Arabic-speaking youth' in Arab-Australians Today: Citizenship and Belonging, Melbourne University Press, Carlton South, Vic, Australia, pp. 128-144.

Poynting, S 2002, ''Lost' Between the Kebab Shop and McDonald's' in Global Learning, Common Ground Publishing, Altona Vic, Australia, pp. 9-25.

Poynting, S 2002, ''Street Arabs' and 'Mug Liars' : racism, class relations and moral panic about Lebanese-Australian youth' in Arab-Australians Today: Citizenship and Belonging, Melbourne University Press, Carlton South VIC, Australia, pp. 145-160.

Poynting, S 2001, 'Appearances and 'Ethnic Crime'', Current Issues in Criminal Justice, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 110-112.

Collins, J, Noble, G, Poynting, S & Tabar, P 2000, Kebabs, kids, cops and crime, Pluto Press, Sydney, Australia.

FOR Codes: Youth/child development and welfare, Migrant development and welfare, Law enforcement, Public Policy, Race and Ethnic Relations, Criminology, Children's/Youth Services and Childcare, Ethnicity, Multiculturalism and Migrant Development and Welfare, Causes and Prevention of Crime