Prevention over punishment: Can Victoria reset its approach to youth crime?

8th May 2026Kavitha Vipulananda, Strategy and reform consultant

Youth offending in Victoria is rising, burglary is at record levels, and retail theft is the fastest-growing crime category, yet the prevailing response remains largely reactive; evidence from Victoria’s own prevention programs shows that upstream investment in youth justice produces measurable reductions in offending, says strategy and reform consultant Kavitha Vipulananda – the harder question is whether the structural conditions exist to deliver it at scale.

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Prevention over punishment: Can Victoria reset its approach to youth crime?

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