“If you work in the justice system or with children in conflict with the law, please take our short survey. It will take approx. 10-15 minutes to complete and you can remain anonymous if you wish.”
Our First Youth Advisory Group Session
Last week we ran our first youth advisory group session and it went very well! We had 5 young people join us for the introductory session. We talked about what we have learnt so far in the project, what the project timeline is looking like and what their role in the next few months will be. We also made a Group Charter - this included reflecting on how we treat each other as a group, respecting each other’s differences, confidentiality and the process of adapting and reviewing the charter as we go. We are delighted to have another session planned for Monday 9th June. This session will focus on ‘What is Research? Why do Research? What are Research Questions’. Stay tuned to hear more about how that unfolds.
We are currently running focus groups with groups of young people (age 14-17) to generate early discussion points and grow interest in the project. This has been going really well and we are hoping to soon begin recruiting for our longer term Youth Advisory Group.
“When I think about justice, I think about injustice”
“We are looking for people aged 14-17 with justice experience to join our Youth Advisory Group. Watch this short video to find out more and please get in touch if you have questions or want to take part.”
Why This Project? What Are You Most Looking Forward To?
Hi, I am Kayleigh, and I joined the Challenging Justice Inequalities Project as a Research Associate in July 2024 and I thought I'd share with you why I wanted to join this project and what I'm most looking forward to.
I wanted to be involved in this research for lots of reasons. Firstly, I was very interested in the idea of co-producing this work. Often, as researchers, we must make decisions about things that might be better decided by the very people who have experience of that thing. What's great about this project is that we recognise that there are certain gaps in our knowledge and practice and instead of us trying to fill them in alone, we are asking you, the children and young people affected, to help us. Importantly, we aren’t just consulting you and running away with all your thoughts and experiences, we are creating something (I think) special and making sure your time and commitment is properly reimbursed.
Secondly, I’m interested in the general topic that this research focuses on. All my projects so far have been focused on LGBTQ+ experiences, so it’s exciting to get to work on something that takes an even broader approach and considers how lots of different identities might impact young people’s experience of the justice system. It’s important that we don’t assume that all boys, or all people with ADHD, for example, experience the same things. There are lots of factors that influence how we experience the world.
I’m most looking forward to the young advisory group sessions and getting to know everyone better. I think I will learn so much from the group. We have planned our sessions to be engaging and fun and include a range of activities, including creating art, Lego building and even ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ style quizzes.
Remember, if you are interested in joining our youth advisory group, don’t forget to send us a text or email.
I hope to see you soon!
“By adopting an intersectional approach, and in providing a space for children to develop and drive research in this area, the project aims to generate unique and rich knowledge about children’s lived experiences of intersectionality, inequalities and justice.”