Leaders of the South Sudanese community have called for a respectful and balanced debate about youth crime.
Dr Santino Atem Deng, who was born in Sudan and now lives in Tarneit, has completed a PhD focused on the challenges faced by South Sudanese parents in Australia.
Dr Deng said most South Sudanese who had immigrated to Australia since the 1990s were just like other Australians.
“Most of us, who came here as adults, are doing very well – educated and working,” he said.
He said it was important that Australians realised that “the minority” of youths from African backgrounds who committed crimes were not representative of the entire community.
“If we have balance in the media and they also talk to leaders in the community and publish our success stories, rather than all negative, that would be good,” he said.
Richard Deng, from the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria, said several people within the community were running programs to help engage their young people.
With Wyndham resident Emily Yuille, Mr Deng helps to run a South Sudanese volunteer patrol group to engage with young people in Wyndham.
“We need a program to support kids if they have no support at home, or if they encounter racism,” Mr Deng said
