Juvenile offending
What are the facts?
(according to NSW Police and NSW Criminal Court data)
Sydney Institute of Criminology
A Word of Warning
Recorded
offenders
Recorded crime
Reported crime
All crime
What the media reports…..

Young, female and leading a crime wave
Daily Telegraph, 21 June 2008

Kid crime rampage
Daily Telegraph, 30 June 2008

Police arrest 31 in teen gang crackdown
SMH, 24 May 2009

Juvenile bail breaches rise
SMH, 1 July 2009

Child criminals out of control
Herald Sun, 9 May 2010

Juvenile crime wave
Herald Sun, 10 May 2010
The Plan…
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1. Long-term and more recent trends in juvenile offending
2. Which offences are most commonly committed by
juveniles?
3. Characteristics of juvenile offenders
4. Where are juveniles committing crime?
5. How do the police proceed against juvenile offenders?
6. How many juveniles go to criminal courts and for what
types of offences?
7. What penalties do the courts impose on juveniles?
8. Juvenile reoffending rates
Long-term and short-term
trends in juvenile offending in
NSW
Trends for juvenile offenders by
major offences, July 00 to June 10
Offence
Assault
Non DV related assault
DV related assault
Malicious damage to property
Steal from retail store
Break and enter
Motor vehicle theft
Robbery without a weapon
Steal from motor vehicle
Fraud
Steal from dwelling
Robbery with a weapon not a firearm
Steal from person
Other sexual offences
Sexual assault
Robbery with a firearm
Murder
All offences excl driving
July 2000 - July 2005 - July 2008 - July 2009 - 10 yr trend and av 5 yr trend and av 2 yr trend and
June 2001 June 2006 June 2009 June 2010 annual % change annual % change annual % change
3489
2676
446
2727
3334
3482
1980
709
1030
751
435
338
214
172
164
45
9
33364
3975
2790
867
3539
2905
3306
1239
606
676
405
363
332
151
99
94
51
17
34895
4673
3197
1127
4634
3609
2822
999
763
764
447
337
236
175
95
121
43
12
40584
4691
3250
1135
4158
3412
2593
942
709
558
355
330
248
191
88
75
24
3
39943
3.3
nc
nc
4.8
Stable
-3.2
-7.9
0.0
-6.6
-8.0
-3.0
Stable
nc
-7.2
Stable
nc
nc
2.0
4.2
3.9
7.0
4.1
4.1
-5.9
-6.6
Stable
Stable
Stable
Stable
-7.0
6.1
Stable
Stable
Stable
nc
3.4
Stable
Stable
Stable
-10.3
Stable
-8.1
Stable
-7.1
Stable
-20.6
Stable
Stable
Stable
Stable
-38.0
Stable
nc
Stable
Trends for juvenile offenders for
other offences, July 00 to June 10
Offence
Transport regulatory offences
Liquor offences
Offensive behaviour
Resist or hinder officer
Breach AVO
Drug offences
Escape custody
Other offences against justice procedures
Fail to appear
Breach bail conditions
All offences excl driving
July 2000 - July 2005 - July 2008 - July 2009 - 10 yr trend and av 5 yr trend and av 2 yr trend and
June 2001 June 2006 June 2009 June 2010 annual % change annual % change annual % change
1201
1642
996
867
282
1968
56
28
21
1426
33364
5030
1527
761
744
400
1010
40
15
6
2158
34895
5985
1674
919
912
486
1214
50
21
9
3135
40584
6823
1547
1030
863
530
1345
53
17
10
3372
39943
nc
Stable
Stable
Stable
7.3
-4.1
-0.6
nc
nc
10.0
2.0
7.9
Stable
7.9
Stable
7.3
7.4
Stable
nc
nc
11.8
3.4
14.0
Stable
Stable
Stable
Stable
Stable
Stable
nc
nc
Stable
Stable
Which offences do juveniles
mostly commit?
0
Offence
2
2
1
1
1
Steal from dwelling
Robbery with a weapon not a firearm
1
Fraud
1
Breach Apprehended Violence Order
2
Steal from motor vehicle
Robbery without a weapon
2
Resist or hinder officer
3
Motor vehicle theft
3
Offensive behaviour
4
DV related assault
4
Liquor offences
8
Break and enter
8
Non DV related assault
9
Breach bail conditions
10
Steal from retail store
12
Malicious damage to property
18
Transport regulatory offences
Percentage
Percentage of juvenile offenders by
offence, July 09 to June 10
17
16
14
10
8
6
6
Juvenile offender
characteristics
Percentage of juvenile offenders by
gender, July 00 to June 10
120
100
19
20
19
20
22
21
22
22
23
24
Percentage
80
60
Female
Male
40
81
80
81
80
78
79
78
78
77
76
00/01
01/02
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
08/09
09/10
20
0
Financial year
Number and percentage of
Indigenous and non-Indigenous
juvenile offenders, July 00 to June 10
Number of juvenile offenders
120
100
80
79
77
78
77
77
78
79
79
79
20
21
23
22
23
23
22
21
21
21
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
08/09
60
01/02
80
00/01
40
20
0
Financial Year
09/10
Percentage
Financial year Indigenous Non-Indigenous
00/01
6437
25688
01/02
6743
25854
02/03
7893
26629
03/04
7075
25174
04/05
7350
24724
05/06
7511
25709
06/07
7953
28154
07/08
8161
30943
08/09
8075
30595
09/10
7906
30174
Percentage of juvenile offenders
Non-Indigenous
Indigenous
Rate per 100,000 population for
Indigenous and non-Indigenous juvenile
offenders, July 00 to June 10
6000.0
Rate per 100,000 population
5000.0
5568.5
4772.1
4876.6
4869.2
4934.6
4919.3
5147.6
5212.9
5074.3
4874.9
4000.0
Indigenous
3000.0
NonIndigenous
2000.0
1000.0
398.9
398.7
407.9
383.0
373.6
385.8
421.9
462.4
455.2
446.4
00/01
01/02
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
08/09
09/10
0.0
Financial Year
Percentage of juvenile offenders by age,
July 00 to June 10
120
100
29
28
28
29
27
28
28
29
28
28
Percentage
80
17yrs
16yrs
15yrs
60
24
25
25
25
24
14yrs
25
26
24
25
26
13yrs
12yrs
11yrs
40
20
0
20
20
19
20
20
20
20
20
21
21
14
13
14
14
15
15
14
14
15
14
8
8
7
8
4
8
3
3
7
3
7
4
7
3
4
3
7
3
7
3
00/01
01/02
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
08/09
09/10
Financial Year
10yrs
Where are juveniles
offending?
4
2
2
2
2
Recreation
Carpark
Other
0
Law Enforcement
5
Licensed Premises
Education
22
Business/Commercial
10
Public Transport
24
Outdoor/Public Place
Residential
Percentage
Percentage of criminal incidents
involving juveniles by premises types,
July 09 to June 10
30
25
20
15
21
16
5
Premises types
Malicious Damage to Property
Shop lifting
Non domestic violence assault
Break and enter
How do police proceed against
juvenile offenders?
Percentage of juveniles proceeded to court
versus away from court, July 05 to June 10
70
60
Proceeded
against to
court
Percentage
50
40
30
20
57
43
57
43
44
58
57
56
43
42
10
0
05/06
06/07
07/08
Financial Year
08/09
09/10
Proceeded
against other
than to court
Percentage of juveniles diverted away
from the courts, July 05 to June 10
70
60
Infringement
notice
50
Percentage
21
21
21
21
22
40
Caution - Young
Offenders Act
30
20
31
31
29
30
29
Youth
conference
10
0
5
5
6
6
6
05/06
06/07
07/08
08/09
09/10
Financial Year
Juveniles in court
Juveniles appearing in court
by offence, 2009
Type of offence charged
Acts intended to cause injury
Theft and related offences
Public order offences
Offences against justice procedures, gov. security and operations
Property damage and environmental pollution
Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences
Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter
Robbery, extortion and related offences
Dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons
Illicit drug offences
Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person
Sexual assault and related offences
Fraud, deception and related offences
Prohibited and regulated weapons and explosives offences
Miscellaneous offences
Homicide and related offences
Grand Total
Number of
persons charged
Number of
charges
2,616
2,139
2,120
1,703
1,653
1,653
1,231
862
461
343
159
117
91
79
33
6
9,374
3,769
3,178
2,699
2,628
2,138
2,865
1,878
1,120
535
435
178
222
154
109
36
8
21,952
Penalties for juveniles, 2009
Fine
18
Probation Order
16
Bond without supervision
13
Dismissed with Caution
13
Bond with supervision
11
Penalty
Control order
8
Dismissed after Youth Justice Conference
7
Community service order
5
Suspended sentence with supervision
3
Bond without conviction
2
No conviction recorded
1
Imprisonment
1
Suspended sentence without supervision
1
Conviction without penalty
1
Other
1
0
2
4
6
8
10
Percentage
12
14
16
18
Juvenile reoffending in NSW
Cumulative percentage of adults and
juveniles reconvicted each year to 2009
90.0
Cumulative percentage reconvicted
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
Adults
40.0
Juveniles
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Years
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Percentage of adults and juveniles reconvicted
of ANY offence within 15 years by offence
Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter
Offences against justice procedures, government security and operations
Property damage and environmental pollution
Public order offences
Offence
Robbery, extortion and related offences
Acts intended to cause injury
Theft and related offences
Illicit drug offences
Prohibited and regulated weapons and explosives offences
Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences
Dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons
Juveniles
Fraud, deception and related offences
Adults
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
Percentage
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.
Percentage of adults and juveniles reconvicted
of the SAME offence within 15 years by offence
Offences against justice procedures, government security and
operations
Theft and related offences
Acts intended to cause injury
Offence
Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences
Public order offences
Illicit drug offences
Property damage and environmental pollution
Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter
Robbery, extortion and related offences
Fraud, deception and related offences
Juveniles
Dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons
Adults
Prohibited and regulated weapons and explosives offences
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
Percentage
40.0
50.0
60.0
What the media reports…..

Young, female and leading a crime wave
Daily Telegraph, 21 June 2008

Kid crime rampage
Daily Telegraph, 30 June 2008

Police arrest 31 in teen gang crackdown
SMH, 24 May 2009

Juvenile bail breaches rise
SMH, 1 July 2009

Child criminals out of control
Herald Sun, 9 May 2010

Juvenile crime wave
Herald Sun, 10 May 2010
Summary
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Over the longer term, police data indicates more juveniles are
being proceeded against by police.
BUT over the shorter term, the number of juveniles being
proceeded against by police is relatively stable.
The most common offences juveniles commit are transport
offences, property damage, shoplifting, assault, breach bail and
break and enter.
Juvenile offenders are mostly male, aged 15 – 17 years, and are
non-Indigenous.
BUT the RATE of Indigenous juvenile offending is much higher
than the non-Indigenous rate.
Summary
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Highest rates of juvenile offending –
- Property damage: Far West, North Western region, Camden,
…Sydney, Leichhardt
- Shoplifting: Richmond Tweed, Parramatta, Sydney, Botany Bay, … … v
…Burwood, Hurstville
- Non dv assault: Campbelltown, Sydney, North Western region
- Break and enter: North and North Western regions
In NSW courts in 2009, 9,374 juveniles appeared (for 21,952 charges)
and over 80% were convicted.
Courts mostly impose fines, probation orders, bonds and cautions.
The proportion of offenders who reoffend is quite high, and this is
especially so for juveniles.
Questions?
Thanks
If you want to contact the Bureau, please email
bcsr@agd.nsw.gov.au or phone 9231 9190