Language and Youth Justice: Establishing a Comparison of Typically Developing Adolescents' Knowledge of Vocabulary Significant to the Law

Abstract

There is reason to believe from overseas studies that youth in the justice system have a high incidence of oral language difficulties (e.g. Bryan, Freer & Furlong, 2007; Snow & Powell, 2008). Several overseas studies have highlighted the problem of language (and in particular vocabulary) used in the justice system which it is critical for youth to understand, but which many do not (e.g. Crawford & Bull, 2006). It is not clear whether youth generally do not understand these terms, or whether it is specific to those in the justice system. In NZ, there is almost no published data on the oral vocabulary levels of NZ youth. This paper reports on a research project which examined the level of comprehension of legal-specific terms by 40 typically developing NZ adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16. An instrument was designed to evaluate participants' grasp of the vocabulary following the principles of a number of vocabulary assessments by putting the words in context, giving definitions, and finding alternative meanings. Success rates by age groups are reported, along with examinations of differences between the tasks and between ages. Some terms were not understood by any of the group, and a number of others presented consistent difficulties. Limitations in the vocabulary performance of typically developing adolescents in this sample are outlined, along with the implications for the legal system.