Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective

Addressing the diverse needs of people who interact with police requires informed consideration of vulnerability. This is facilitated through the evolution of policing protocols in response to the expanding knowledge base on vulnerable populations. This paper examines the innate vulnerability of chi...

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Main Author: Dylan de Gourville
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Queensland University of Technology 2025-03-01
Series:International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/article/view/3715
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author Dylan de Gourville
author_facet Dylan de Gourville
author_sort Dylan de Gourville
collection DOAJ
description Addressing the diverse needs of people who interact with police requires informed consideration of vulnerability. This is facilitated through the evolution of policing protocols in response to the expanding knowledge base on vulnerable populations. This paper examines the innate vulnerability of children and young people in the Caribbean, highlighting the need for changes to policing practices to incorporate a trauma-informed framework. Fifteen young people from Trinidad and Tobago were interviewed about their experiences in interacting with police as suspects and victims. A thematic analysis revealed insights into the lived experiences and perceptions of at-risk youth in Trinidad and Tobago regarding police interactions. The findings highlight the importance of considering the impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) within policing paradigms. This study augments regional scholarship on vulnerability in island contexts and offers recommendations for effectively navigating effective law enforcement with an understanding of the vulnerability of young people.
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spelling doaj-art-d117ff8b984e47a7ad7eaa927cfe7dec2025-08-20T02:02:06ZengQueensland University of TechnologyInternational Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy2202-79982202-80052025-03-01141304510.5204/ijcjsd.37154038Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed PerspectiveDylan de Gourville0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9848-8101University of KentAddressing the diverse needs of people who interact with police requires informed consideration of vulnerability. This is facilitated through the evolution of policing protocols in response to the expanding knowledge base on vulnerable populations. This paper examines the innate vulnerability of children and young people in the Caribbean, highlighting the need for changes to policing practices to incorporate a trauma-informed framework. Fifteen young people from Trinidad and Tobago were interviewed about their experiences in interacting with police as suspects and victims. A thematic analysis revealed insights into the lived experiences and perceptions of at-risk youth in Trinidad and Tobago regarding police interactions. The findings highlight the importance of considering the impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) within policing paradigms. This study augments regional scholarship on vulnerability in island contexts and offers recommendations for effectively navigating effective law enforcement with an understanding of the vulnerability of young people.https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/article/view/3715adverse childhood experiences (aces)policing practicesyoung peopletrauma-informed frameworkcaribbeanvulnerability
spellingShingle Dylan de Gourville
Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective
International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy
adverse childhood experiences (aces)
policing practices
young people
trauma-informed framework
caribbean
vulnerability
title Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective
title_full Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective
title_fullStr Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective
title_short Policing Vulnerable Children and Young People in the Caribbean: Considerations from a Trauma-Informed Perspective
title_sort policing vulnerable children and young people in the caribbean considerations from a trauma informed perspective
topic adverse childhood experiences (aces)
policing practices
young people
trauma-informed framework
caribbean
vulnerability
url https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/article/view/3715
work_keys_str_mv AT dylandegourville policingvulnerablechildrenandyoungpeopleinthecaribbeanconsiderationsfromatraumainformedperspective