7NEWS Spotlight

7News Spotlight this week tackles the issues of youth crime and looks for solutions.

Sarah Greenhalgh said: "Every person we've spoken to agrees that a tough, law-and-order-only approach to youth crime will never fix it. Prevention really is better than cure and there needs to be a national approach to this.

"Kids who break the law and commit horrific crimes should absolutely face consequences, but it needs to be a model with proven results."

The alarming reality of young offenders will be under the microscope as 7NEWS Spotlight's Sarah Greenhalgh rides along with police and meets victims of these crimes, the kids running wild in the streets and the families trying to make some sense of it all.

In a confronting, not-to-be-missed interview, Greenhalgh sits down with a teen who shares a graphic first-hand account of his life of crime.

Police, victims, experts and frustrated parents will come together to share their personal experiences and insights, along with the frontline workers who say they have the answers to save young lives and to help rebuild communities where people are living in fear.

The program also takes a close look at an overseas youth detention and rehabilitation model that some believe could significantly reduce youth crime rates here.