Criminology Research Council grant ; (16/01-02)
The Townsville Strand was redeveloped in 1999 and while attracting praise for its aesthetic appeal, it is also a public space that attracts young people who engage in antisocial and criminal forms of behaviour such as driving modified cars, skateboarding along the promenade and participating in acts of vandalism such as the production of illegal graffiti.
The outcomes of this research identify a number of key issues which challenge popular and often inaccurate public perceptions linking youth to antisocial or criminal behaviour. First, the majority of youth who utilise the Strand perceive that they are unfairly labelled as engaging in deviant behaviour because of their age, that they are easily identifiable by virtue of their alliance to specific subcultures. Secondly, there is a shared perception that a minority of youth engage in antisocial behaviour on the Strand. Thirdly, young people have responded by resolving to resist attempts to marginalise their presence on the Strand which highlights the contested nature of public spaces by various stakeholders and questions the effectiveness of increased forms of policing and security aimed at regulating young people. The study highlights the need for alternative strategies to the perceived problem of youth and forms of antisocial or criminal behaviour on the Strand.