Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Journal of Criminology
Publisher
Sage
School
School of Arts and Humanities
RAS ID
70306
Funders
Western Australian Office of Crime Statistics
Grant Number
RG0142122
Abstract
Court environments can be stressful and induce anxiety in victims, witnesses, and other court users. Taking heed from justice facilities in other jurisdictions, the Children's Court of Western Australia introduced Winston, a justice facility dog, at the Perth Children's Court facility to help reduce the stress and anxiety of victims, witnesses, and court users. This article presents survey (n = 55) and interview data (n = 17) from staff and stakeholders who reported positive changes in the court atmosphere, with limited negative impacts on the running of the court. Surveys were also conducted with child victims/survivors (n = 13), caregivers (n = 44), and other court users (including accused young people; n = 23). Children and caregivers’ results indicated significantly reduced stress and anxiety levels associated with attending the Children's Court after interacting with the facility dog. When analysed through a lens of therapeutic jurisprudence, the positive impacts on court-user well-being and limited impact on the court and legal processes solidified the therapeutic principles of the program. The findings of this study highlight that justice systems could implement similar positive therapeutic programs at other courts to reduce negative impacts on people attending and working at the facilities.
DOI
10.1177/26338076241252699
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Rock, S., & Gately, N. (2024). Kids, courts and canines: Evaluating the justice facility dog program through a therapeutic lens in the Perth Children's Court. Journal of Criminology, 26338076241252699. https://doi.org/10.1177/26338076241252699