Laura Willox: Social media is changing our natural intuition.

What’s changed in the last 10–20 years?

From the perspective of a practising criminal defence lawyer in Perth, one trend stands out clearly:

1) More serious violence — often fuelled by drugs and alcohol

Serious assaults, homicides, and family violence appear more frequently than they once did (even accounting for population growth). In case after case, substance use sits close to the centre — not always as the sole cause, but as a powerful accelerant.

And yet, focusing only on drugs and alcohol can miss the deeper driver:

People often use substances to cope — to numb pain, manage trauma, or escape a life that feels unbearable.

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Domestic and family violence: what the courtroom doesn’t always show

Domestic and family violence matters are rarely “just one incident”. They’re often part of a pattern — shaped by pressure, poor coping mechanisms, fractured relationships, and unaddressed mental health needs.

There’s also a broader social context that affects family stability, especially in Western Australia, where FIFO arrangements and long-distance family separation can place strain on relationships. Add financial stress, isolation, alcohol, drugs, and the pressure to “keep up” — and the risk increases.

None of this excuses violence. But understanding the conditions that produce it is essential if we actually want to reduce it.

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The real issue behind reoffending: “It’s serving a need”

A common public assumption is:

“They did the crime, they did the time — so they should learn.”

But reoffending often has less to do with intelligence or moral awareness, and more to do with repetition, reinforcement, and unmet needs.

If someone keeps returning to the same harmful behaviour, it’s often because that behaviour is “doing something” for them — even if it’s destroying their life. It might be:

• a need for validation or belonging

• unresolved abandonment wounds

• untreated trauma

• emotional dysregulation

• self-sabotage rooted in low self-worth

• addiction as a coping strategy

This is where the idea of neuroplasticity becomes more than a buzzword: people can change, but change typically requires support + repetition + environment, not just punishment.

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Youth offending: why “adult time for adult crime” misses the point

When we talk about young people, the stakes are even higher — and the simplistic slogans can do real harm.

Children and teenagers are still developing:

• their impulse control

• emotional intelligence

• long-term consequence thinking

• identity and belonging

Many young people who offend aren’t “hardened criminals” — they’re hurt kids reaching for attention, control, or acceptance in the only ways they’ve learned.

A punitive approach may satisfy public anger, but it often creates the exact outcome we claim to fear: more hardening, more disconnection, more reoffending.

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Parenting, social media, and the “robot life” problem

Another major shift in the last 10–20 years is how heavily children and adults are influenced by constant noise:

• social media

• comparison culture

• online identities

• “perfect life” performance

• endless opinions telling people who to be

Many people know the right choice. They can feel it.
But they ignore it — because pressure, anxiety, belonging, or fear is louder.

So the core question becomes:

How do we teach people — especially young people — to pause and choose?

There’s no single fix. But there are foundations that matter:

• safety and security at home (even across two households)

• consistent emotional support

• permission to make mistakes without shame

• teaching kids how to recognise stress, anxiety, and intuition

• building real community connection, not just online connection

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For high achievers: the hidden pattern that leads to collapse

High-performing professionals often look “fine” — until they’re not.

The most common pattern isn’t laziness or weakness. It’s over-identification with achievement:

• “If I perform, I matter.”

• “If I slow down, I’ll fall behind.”

• “If I’m not the best, I’m nothing.”

That mindset can lead to:

• burnout

• relationship breakdown

• substance dependence

• emotional numbness

• and eventually, a crisis

The practical starting point isn’t another productivity hack. It’s asking:
What need is this lifestyle meeting — and what is it costing me?

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Prevention starts earlier than the courtroom

A criminal defence lawyer meets people at rock bottom. Prevention means catching people earlier — before the fall.

That’s why mental health support can’t be treated like a short-term band-aid. Real change usually requires ongoing work across:

• mind (thought patterns, coping tools, self-worth)

• body (sleep, stress, nervous system regulation)

• connection (relationships, belonging, community)

If we want fewer victims, fewer offenders, and fewer broken families, we need to treat prevention as seriously as punishment.