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What does this mean?

In Kids Stats a young offender is a child or young person who has participated in a criminal activity.

Why is it important to monitor?

Being involved in crime can have negative consequences for the children and young people who commit crime and their victims, who are also often children or young people

Children and young people who engage in criminal behaviour tend to be involved in minor offences and their behaviour is short-lived [2].

For a small group crime and contact with the criminal justice system becomes a way of life [3], limiting their work options and isolating them from their social supports.

Indicator

The indicator used in Kids’ Stats to monitor young offenders is:

The number of persons (aged 10-17 years at the time of the alleged offence) with an appearance for a criminal matter finalised in the NSW Children’s Court.

Children and young people must be 10 years and over and reported to the police to be included.

Children’s Court statistics only monitor young offenders who appear in the Children's Court. Many minor offences and first-time offenders may be dealt with in a less formal way by police or through court-diversion programs such as Youth Justice Conferencing.

Main findings

• Over the period 1996 to 2005 there was a downward trend in the rate of young people with at last one finalised criminal matter before the NSW Children’s Court.
• Rates in 2005 are generally half those in 1996.
• The greatest decrease occurred between 1997 and 2000. Since 2001, rates have generally stabilised. This is true for all reported age groups.
• From 1996 to 2005 the majority of finalised matters before the NSW Children's Court were of males. Male rates are nearly 5 times those of the rates for females. 
  The decline in rates have been proportionally slightly greater for males (43%) than females (37%).

Notes:

[1] Baker, J. (1996). Juveniles in Crime- Part 1: Participation Rates and Risk Factors, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Sydney.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Coumarelos, C. (1994). Juvenile Offending: Predicting Persistence and Determining the Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Sydney.

For details of the references and to find out more about the data follow the link to glossary and further information.