Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program (AYCP)

Victoria Police respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the country throughout Victoria.

We pay our respects to Elders, both past, present and future and continue to recognise and embrace the fact that Aboriginal People are connected to the oldest, continuous culture and history.

Victoria Police is committed to reducing the number of Aboriginal young people in the criminal justice system.

As part of this commitment, we have introduced an enhanced cautioning approach developed in partnership with Aboriginal communities to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal young people in contact with police.

This program is known as the Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program (AYCP).

About the Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program (AYCP)

The AYCP is an enhanced police cautioning program which provides Aboriginal young people with an opportunity to connect with Aboriginal Elders and support services in their local area. This assists young people to engage with culturally relevant support to address the factors underlying their contact with police.

The program draws upon local Aboriginal culture, knowledge, and community to ensure a tailored response for young people coming into contact with police.

The program incorporates the principles of Aboriginal self-determination, early intervention, and harm reduction.

Youth cautions under the AYCP

A caution is a formal alternative to being charged. Youth cautions provide a structured, formal, and supported response to alleged offending by a child where a youth warning is assessed as clearly inappropriate in the circumstances.

Youth cautions are given by police and means that a child will not go to court for their alleged offence and will not record a criminal conviction.

Consent and youth cautions

A child must provide consent to receive a youth caution.

A child's consent relates to the youth caution process and the youth caution being given. It does not constitute an admission of guilt.

A child can deny the offending and still be eligible for a youth caution if they consent to this process.

The AYCP is separate to Aboriginal Elders giving youth cautions

The AYCP and the involvement of Aboriginal Elders in giving a youth caution are two separate processes. The AYCP is a consent-based referral program that connects Aboriginal children and young people with Aboriginal Elders and culturally appropriate support services in their local area.

Separately, under the Youth Justice Act 2024 reforms, effective from 30 September 2026, Aboriginal Elders or Respected Persons may give youth cautions to children aged 14 - 17 years at the time of alleged offending, as part of an approved pilot where practicable, and with the child's consent. This is not currently available, as pilot locations have not yet been established.

Police remain responsible for deciding whether a youth caution is the appropriate disposition under the pre-charge framework.

If a youth caution is given to an Aboriginal child, police will, where reasonably practicable and with the child’s agreement, give the youth caution in a culturally appropriate location.

Who can take part in the AYCP

To be eligible for the AYCP, a young person must:

identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
be aged between 14-17 years
consent to participate*
consent is not required from a parent for a child to receive a youth caution, however:
- referrals to support services made through the AYCP process may be subject to parental consent, depending on the eligibility arrangements of the relevant service provider.

*Participation in the AYCP is consent-based. A young person who is eligible for the AYCP who does not wish to participate will still receive a child caution.

Police will also consider the following circumstances of the alleged offence:

the nature and seriousness
any harm caused to the alleged victim (if applicable)
the interests and views of the victim and the community
the context in which the offence took place
previous conduct of the child relevant to the alleged offending
the personal and family circumstances of the young person.

The safety of the Victorian community is our priority. In some cases, young people may be deemed ineligible for the AYCP due to the severity of an offence, the level of harm caused to a victim or other extenuating circumstances.

AYCP locations

The AYCP is currently operating in multiple locations, including:

Ballarat
Barwon Southwest
Benalla
Bendigo
Campaspe
Cardinia
Casey
Dandenong
Darebin
East Gippsland
Hobsons Bay
Horsham
Latrobe
Maribyrnong
Merri-bek
Mildura
Northern Grampians
Robinvale
Shepparton
Swan Hill
Wodonga
Wyndham.

The program will continue to expand to further locations in consultation with Aboriginal communities.

AYCP review and recommendations

A 2025 review examined the initial AYCP implementation across Victoria, highlighting strengths, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

The findings and recommendations were based on consultations with stakeholders, including:

Victoria Police,
Elders,
Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Councils (RAJACs), and,
community members.

There was also a thorough analysis of program operations.

The following recommendations are based on insights shared by stakeholders during the review. They focus on supporting the effective, culturally safe, and locally responsive delivery of the AYCP.
While recognising that many processes are already in place, these recommendations reflect areas where participants felt further clarity, support, or awareness could enhance program outcomes.
Implementing these strategies will strengthen the AYCP’s capacity to support Aboriginal young people, reduce their overrepresentation in the justice system, and promote community-led solutions.
They represent pathways for improving the program’s effectiveness, sustainability, and alignment with its core principles of self-determination, early intervention, and harm reduction.
These recommendations are also supported by a series of potential actions designed to translate strategic goals into practical initiatives.
These steps ensure that the implementation process is aligned with the overarching aim of the Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program (AYCP).
These steps also include important insights to guide how the AYCP can be improved and adapted in the future, making sure it stays effective and meets new challenges.
Recommendation 1: Strengthen Governance
Establish a clear governance framework and oversight to ensure the program remains effective, accountable, and aligned with its intended purpose.
Promote the scope and flexibility for local adaptation available within the program guidelines.
Victoria Police Response
Victoria Police will strengthen governance by:
- developing a community support panel expression of interest (EOI) template
- establishing and maintaining a list of community support panel members in each region
- reviewing existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure clarity on roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for all parties involved in the AYCP
- identifying and assessing region-specific practices and priorities for inclusion in SOPs
- convening meetings with Aboriginal community stakeholders and regional police to discuss opportunities to tailor SOPs.
Recommendation 2: Enhance Capability of Panel Members
Acknowledge and integrate the lived experiences, cultural knowledge of Elders and other learning opportunities into program and panel practices.
Regional adaptations should reflect the specific cultural and social dynamics of the community.
Victoria Police Response:
Victoria Police currently provides mandatory Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training (ACAT) for all Victoria Police employees.
The ACAT package was developed in conjunction with Aboriginal community members and reflects both lived experience and cultural knowledge.
In addition to activities designed to strengthen governance described above, Victoria Police will enhance capability of the Victoria Police panel members by:
- preparing an induction package for panel members
- developing case studies for inclusion in induction materials for panel members
- promoting completion of existing training resources addressing trauma informed practices and culturally safe and responsive engagement with young people.
Although Victoria Police is unable to support the training needs of external parties, panel member induction materials will include a listing of links to existing resources offered by community or government agencies addressing trauma-informed practices and culturally safe engagement with young people.
Recommendation 3: Improve Awareness and Engagement
Develop content to increase understanding of the AYCP and its panel component among young people, families, and other stakeholders.
This content could include regionally tailored materials such as brochures, social media content, and other resources to reflect local needs and cultural protocols.
Victoria Police Response:
As the majority of Aboriginal young people will not have contact with the justice system, any materials developed for young people or their families will cater only to those young people who are eligible for participation in community support panels following contact with police for an alleged offence.
Victoria Police will improve awareness and engagement by:
- promoting existing materials designed for police, community services and eligible young people in contact with police
- ensuring that materials provided by community service providers, designed for young people eligible for the AYCP, are also available on the Victoria Police website.
- developing and distributing a referral flowchart.
Recommendation 4: Expand Support Structures and Resources for Panel Members
Explore remuneration policies to recognise the time and expertise of Elders and community members participating in panels in voluntarily capacity.
This policy could consider travel reimbursements and other financial support.
Victoria Police Response:
Victoria Police recognises the important role played by Elders and community members who support the AYCP in a voluntary capacity.
Victoria Police will consult with community partners and explore potential arrangements for remuneration or reimbursement of community volunteers involved in the program.
Recommendation 5: Follow-up and ongoing support
Integrate consent-based follow-up processes to reinforce positive outcomes and ensure long-term support for young people.
Victoria Police Response:
The AYCP model aims to connect Aboriginal young people with relevant supports, while minimising unnecessary or ongoing contact with police. Follow-up processes or long-term support are matters for consideration by external community organisations.
Victoria Police will support community panel processes by:
- designing a template to document relevant outcomes from the panel meeting
- clarifying that panel meetings can be held at locations other than police stations, where relevant.
These actions will be undertaken in consultation with Aboriginal community stakeholders and will form part of the workplan for Victoria Police – Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Support Officers (AYCSO).

Further information about the AYCP

To find out more about the program, please contact office-of-cmdr-pscd@police.vic.gov.au.

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Updated 15 October 2026