New youth crime program in Townsville targets family violence, stability at home

Townsville is launching a new offensive in the fight against youth crime, with a program laser-focused on curbing family violence and creating stable home environments for at-risk kids.

Tyson Cassady and Meyalah Blackman are part of the Busy Group’s Step Up program launching this week. Picture: Evan Morgan

Townsville is launching a new offensive in the fight against youth crime, with a program laser-focused on curbing family violence and creating stable home environments for at-risk kids.

The Step Up program, originally started by the Busy Group in Tasmania, is making its Queensland debut after securing a $300,000 state government grant.

Over the next 12 months, this funding will fuel the voluntary program’s operations in Townsville and support around 40 youths and their parents or guardians.

This curriculum-based intervention is designed to help young people, already in or at risk of entering the youth justice system, learn nonviolent, respectful ways of communicating and resolving conflicts.

The training targets abusive and negative behaviours, offering healthier strategies to manage emotions and actions.

But it’s not just about the kids. The program also works closely with parents, providing a model of respectful parenting and helping them identify and manage challenging behaviours. The goal is to maintain safety and stability at home, a crucial step in preventing future violence and criminal activity.

A small team of local social and youth workers is set to start next week after completing training with Tasmania’s Step Up team, where the program has been running for five years.

Glen O’Keefe, General Manager for Youth and Community Services at Busy Group, highlighted the importance of tailoring the program to meet Townsville’s specific needs.

“We did a lot of consultation with the Townsville community prior, and overwhelmingly people were telling us that families and carers didn’t have the ability to support and care for the young person when they were showing violent behaviours,” he said.

“Every time we brought up the Step Up program and what it does, it got full endorsement from those we spoke to. We’ll be working very closely with Youth Justice teams who will provide referrals to us, and with Queensland Police for early intervention when parents report concerns about violence or other troubling behaviours.”

Mr O’Keefe understands that parents can feel overwhelmed when their kids start displaying violent or difficult behaviour.

“This program isn’t just about helping the kids; it’s about supporting the whole family to change things for the better,” he said.

The program also sets out to establish clear safety plans for the home, including firm expectations like curfews.

“It’s important we work with the parents too because sometimes we might not even realise the things we do trigger certain behaviours in our kids,” O’Keefe added.

“It’s all about giving families the tools they need to stop the cycle of violence because if not, it can lead to life-threatening situations where even weapons are used.”

Originally published as New youth crime program in Townsville targets family violence, stability at home