The Tasmania Law Reform Institute (TLRI) is pleased to launch its 10th Research Paper, An Evaluation of Youth Justice Responses to Allegations of Sexual Offending by Young People. This paper evaluates how the Tasmanian youth justice system responds to allegations of sexual offending by young people. Sexual offending by young people generally remains a contentious and taboo subject, and is therefore often underreported, making it difficult to measure accurately. More recently, however, there has been recognition of the extent of both physical and online sexual offending by young people, and with that recognition, a need to better understand how the youth justice system responds. Harmful sexual behaviour and sexual offending can cause significant and ongoing harm to victim-survivors.
The TLRI has identified a need to make changes to the criminal law in relation to online offending. Research literature and the interviews conducted by the TLRI suggest that the internet, smartphones, social media and related online harmful sexual behaviour have emerged as complex issues for young people.
In its analysis, the TLRI found that applying child exploitation material offences to young people is problematic. It identified a need to clarify the law to ensure that child exploitation material offences do not produce unintended consequences in relation to the consensual sharing of images by young people.
The Institute has made a total of 14 recommendations. These included reforms to the criminal law as well as to the operation of diversion under the Youth Justice Act 1997 (Tas).
The project was funded by a grant from the Tasmanian Department of Justice. A link to the report can be found on the TLRI website here: https://www.utas.edu.au/law-reform/publications/completed-law-reform-projects#an-evaluation-of-youth-justice-responses-to-allegations-of-sexual-offending-by-young-people
For enquiries, please contact the TLRI on (03) 6226 2069, or email Law.Reform@utas.edu.au
18 February 2026