Faith Gordon

Reading the ‘Riots’

This chapter, structured as a case study, focuses on the media’s representation of rioting in Northern Ireland in July 2010. The chapter contextualises the case study by reviewing literature on the contestation of space and conflicting identities in Northern Ireland. It also uses content analysis to establish how local, national and international newspapers framed youth involvement in rioting. Further, it explores the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) initiative, Operation Exposure. This involved the dissemination of images of children and young people accused of ‘sectarian disorder’ in Derry/Londonderry and the publication of images following major disturbances in Ardoyne, Belfast.

‘It’s the Nature of the Beast’: Responses from the Media and Other ‘Moral Entrepreneurs’

This chapter’s analysis compares and contrasts the views of the interviewees with regard to the key themes drawn from the literature review, as well as prominent themes that emerged from the content analysis and case study. Part I critically explores the role of the media in the ‘new’ Northern Ireland, focusing on the procedures and practices used by the media organisations in presenting the news items analysed in previous chapters. Part II explores the meanings and interpretations editors and journalists attach to media coverage of children and young people. It assesses the relationship between the state, state agencies and the media. Part III analyses the views of interviewees with regard to their current and future engagement with children, young people and advocates.

The Impact of Social Reaction on Contemporary Policy Responses to Children and Young People

This chapter explores the tangible consequences of social reaction. The chapter is structured into two related parts, which critically analyse contemporary policy responses to children and young people in Britain and in Northern Ireland specifically. Each part considers the proposition that there has been a progressively punitive shift in criminal justice and youth justice policies, driven by social, political and media reactions internationally and nationally, to crises concerning children and young people. This chapter also examines policy transfer and the United Kingdom’s recent legacy relating to children, young people, anti-social behaviour and crime. It considers whether new criminal justice and youth justice policies in Northern Ireland are inheriting the UK’s legacy, by maintaining the punitive ideologies and practices promoted under periods of direct rule.

The Significance and Impact of the Media in Contemporary Society

This chapter explores the significance of the media and the impact it has on the meaning-making processes in contemporary society. It draws on key national and international academic literature and previous studies on the role and functions of the media. This includes the key theoretical debates on deviancy amplification, folk devils and moral panics. It assesses the media’s impact on criminal justice policies and on public opinion of, and support for authoritarian ideologies and policies. In particular, it will focus on exploring how the media can influence popular culture and the impact of media portrayals of crime on societal perceptions, responses and reactions directed towards social groups, in particular children and young people ‘in conflict with the law’.

Print Media Content Analysis: Language, Imagery and Prominent Themes

This chapter critically analyses how newspapers in Northern Ireland represent children, young people and children and youth sector organisations. In doing so, this chapter presents an analysis of the language and imagery utilised by journalists and editors when reporting on children, young people and their advocates. It also outlines and analyses the significance of prominent themes that emerged from the large-scale study of print media content.

‘The Hidden Voices’ in the Media: Responses from Children, Young People and Their Advocates

This chapter addresses key themes, particularly the consequences of negative media reporting for how children and young people perceive themselves and their peers and the perceived impact of negative representations on advocates and on service provision. Children, young people and their advocates provide first-hand accounts of their experiences of media intrusion and the impact of negative media reporting. The chapter explores the perceived impact of negative media representations on official discourses and on the creation of policy and law, along with perceptions and experiences of the current regulatory system. The analysis compares and contrasts the views of the interviewees and focus group participants regarding the key themes drawn from the literature and those that emerged from the content analysis in previous chapters.

Researching the Media Representations of Children and Young People

The introduction contextualises the monograph by exploring the context of Northern Ireland as a society emerging from 30 years of conflict. It asserts that in negotiating the impact of change and transition, children and young people living in marginalised and segregated communities, continue to experience the legacy of the Conflict and experience inequalities. It details the research methods employed, to explore the print media’s role in creating negative representations and maintaining negative ideological constructions of children and young people, in particular those who are the most marginalised, those considered anti-social within their communities and those in conflict with the law. The chapter outlines that the theoretical framework adopted is derived in critical analysis within criminology.

Conclusion: Reading Between the Headlines – Demonising and Scapegoating of Youth in Transition

The concluding chapter of the monograph discusses issues central to the research process of carrying out critical social research and the challenges faced when interviewing ‘primary definers’ and providing an opportunity for the ‘view from below’ to be heard. It explores four central research themes: significance and role of the media in Northern Ireland; media representations and impact of negative ideological constructions; social reaction, policy and legal responses in the ‘new’ Northern Ireland; engagement, participation and challenging the media. The chapter concludes by proposing future considerations and challenges for academic research and policy intervention demonstrating the potential institutional impact of the research.

Older victims of crime: Vulnerability, resilience and access to procedural justice

This article provides the first comprehensive examination of the phenomenon of unequal access to procedural justice for older victims of crime. It analyses quantitative and qualitative data exploring the interactions of older people with the criminal justice system of Northern Ireland. It identifies that older victims of crime are less likely to have a successful crime outcome (known as ‘detection’ or ‘clear-up’ in other jurisdictions) to their case when compared to other adults. The results provide evidence of a system failing to adequately take into account additional vulnerabilities that disproportionately impact on older victims’ ability to engage with the justice process. There is an analysis of the relationships between vulnerability, resilience and access to justice. The current conceptual understanding of vulnerability as applied to older people within the justice system is challenged. The findings are relevant for researchers and policy-makers in the United Kingdom, Ireland and further afield concerned with the treatment of older and vulnerable victims by the justice system.