Jack Scanlan: Breaking the Wall of Racism in Youth Justice

South Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, has the largest global Polynesian population and is home to a recent study that revealed Samoan practitioners in dominant white spaces experience feelings of marginalisation, bullying, and exclusion. The study named “Ululaau—The power of transformation to curb Samoan youth offending” has sought to understand effective ways to reduce Samoan youth offending from former Samoan youth-at-risk turned social practitioners.

Jack is a Massey University social work lecturer and Doctor of Social Work candidate. His doctoral research, Ululaau, examines the transformational journeys of Samoan social practitioners who were former youth-at-risk to better address Samoan youth offending. Formerly a Police youth development Project Manager, Jack has worked with youth offenders in South Auckland for close to 30 years. A proud Māngere, South Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand-born Samoan, Jack is married to his beautiful Ngati Tūwharetoa wife, Nicky and has three children.