What is the main goal of Youth Court?

The main goal of Youth Court is to rehabilitate youth and reduce future offenses. This approach emphasizes understanding the underlying issues that may contribute to a young person's behavior, rather than solely focusing on punishment. By providing opportunities for accountability and positive development, Youth Court aims to guide youth towards making better choices in the future. This rehabilitative focus often involves community service, reparations to victims, and educational programs designed to address the factors that may have led to the offending behavior. Youth Courts are structured to give young offenders a chance to learn from their mistakes and reintegrate into society as productive members, thus reducing the likelihood of reoffending and fostering a safer community overall. In contrast, while punishment or entertainment might be components of other systems, they do not align with the primary rehabilitative objectives of Youth Court.