Youth Facts and Stats

Arrests/offences

Topics

Involvement of young people in homicide, 2005–2006
Offenders by age, 2004–2005
Juvenile offenders, 1995–1996 and 2002–2003
Alleged offenders, 2001–2002

Involvement of young people in homicide, 2005-06

• In 2005-2006, there were 57 males aged between 15 and 19 years who committed homicide, compared with
• • 22 males in 2004-05
  • 39 males in 2003-04

• During 2005-06, there were 283 incidents of homicide, resulting in 301 victims, committed by 336 offenders. This is 34 more than in 2004-05 (representing an increase of 14%).

• The number of female homicide victims also increased in 2005-06:
• • 113 in 2005-06
  • 87 in 2004-05
  • 109 in 2003-04

• The percentage of females killed by strangers rose in 2005-06:
• • 10% in 2005-06
  • 2% in 2004-05
  • 7% in 2003-04

• Overall stranger homicide increased in 2005-06:
• • 26% in 2005-06
  • 19% in 2004-05
  • 23% in 2003-04

This annual report marks the seventeenth year of data collection for the AIC's NHMP, with the dataset now containing information on 5,226 victims, and 5,743 homicide offenders.

Full report: Homicide in Australia: 2005-06 national homicide monitoring program (NHMP) annual report,
http://www.aic.gov.au/media/2007/20070719.html

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology, media release no. 2007/04: Increase in the involvement of young males in homicide, http://www.aic.gov.au

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Offenders by age, 2004-2005

Persons aged 15 to 19 years are more likely to be processed by police for the commission of a crime than any other population group. In 2004-05 the offending rate for persons aged 15 to 19 years was four times the offender rate for the remainder of the population (5,841 and 1,417 per 100,000 relevant persons respectively).

Offenders by age, 1995-96 to 2004-05 (rate per 100,000 relevant persons).

• Over the past 10 years, offender rates generally increased to a maximum in 1999-2000 and declined from then on. A peak offender rate for 10-14 year olds occurred earlier, in 1995-1996.
• Declines were greatest among the 15-19 and 20-24 year age groups.
• Offender rates have been highest among persons aged 15-19 years and lowest among those aged 25 and over.

Source:
Australian Institute of Criminology, Australian Crime: Facts & Figures 2006.
Full report [viewed 16/5/2007].

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Juvenile offenders, 1995-1996 and 2002-2003

'There are differences among the States in the definition of a juvenile. In Victoria and Queensland, the definition includes persons aged between 10 and 16 years. In South Australia, however, a juvenile is a person aged between 10 and 17 years. In this section, for the purposes of maintaining comparability, the term "juvenile offender" includes alleged offenders aged between 10 and 16 years.'

'In 2002-2003, juveniles accounted for one-fifth of the total offender population, yet only accounted for one-tenth of the population aged 10 and over.'

Juvenile offenders by gender, rate per 100,000 persons, 1995-1996 to 2002-2003:

'What this chart shows:

• There were differences in the patterns of offending by male and female juveniles.
• Rates of male juvenile offending dropped by 30% since 1995, with a 17% drop in the past two years.
• The rate of offending by females increased until 2000-2001 before declining 28% by 2002-2003.
• There has been a slight increase in the percentage of female juvenile offenders, from 21% in 1995-1996 to 23% in 2002-2003.

Juvenile offenders, by offence type, rate per 100,000, 1995-1996 and 2002-2003:




'What this chart shows:

• Juvenile offender rates were similar in 1995-1996 and 2002-2003 for the offences of homicide, assault, sexual assault and robbery.
• Juvenile rates have declined for the offences of motor vehicle theft, unlawful entry with intent, fraud and deception-related offences, and by 38% for other theft.
• By comparison, for adult offenders, other theft was the only offence to record a decrease, down by 7%.

Source:
* Australian Bureau of Statistics 2002. Population by age and sex: Australian states and territories 1981 to 2001 cat no 3201.0. Canberra: ABS
* Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003. Population by age and sex: Australian states and territories 1997 to 2002 cat no 3201.0. Canberra: ABS
* Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003. Population by age and sex: Australian states and territories 2003 cat no 3201.0. Canberra: ABS
* Victoria Police 1992-2003. Victoria Police crime statistics. Melbourne: Victoria Police
* South Australia Police 1996-1999. Statistical review. Annual report Commissioner of Police. Adelaide: SAPOL
* South Australia Police 2000-2003. South Australia Police annual report. Adelaide: SAPOL
* Queensland Police Service 1992-2003. Queensland Police Service statistical review. Brisbane: QPS. http://www.police.qld.gov.au/pr/services/statsnet/index.shtml'


Source: Australian Institute of Criminology 2004, Australian Crime: Facts and Figures 2004, AIC, Canberra. [viewed 29/11/2006].

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Alleged offenders, 2001-2002

People aged 15-19 are most likely of all age groups to be processed by police for the commission of a crime. In 2001-2002 the offending rate for persons aged 15 to 19 years was four times the offender rate for the remainder of the population (6,421 per 100,000 and 1,544 per 100,000 respectively).

Alleged offenders by age, rate per 100,000 people, 1995-1996 and 2001-2002:

The most common alleged offences were theft (including theft of motor vehicles), unlawful entry with intent, and assault.

The offender rate for people in the 10-14 age group decreased by 26%, from 3,084 per 100,000 in 1995-1996 to 2,269 per 100,000 in 2001-2002. For those aged 15 to 19, rates dropped 22%, from 8,256 to 6,421. Rates of juvenile offending dropped by 33% for males and by 32% for females.

There was an increase in the percentage of female juvenile offenders, from 21% in 1995-1996 to 24% in 2001-2002.

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology 2004, Facts and figures 2003, AIC, Canberra, viewed 18 January 2005.

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Alleged offenders, 1995-2001

Age group with highest offending rate: 15-19 years (>5 times higher than rest of population)

Proportion of total offender population aged 10-16 years (juveniles), 2000-2001: 25%

Percentage of juvenile offenders in Australia, 2000-2001, who were female: 25%
...in 1995-96: 21%

Percentage of juvenile assault offenders, 2000-2001: 13%
...of female juvenile offenders: 21%
...of male juvenile offenders: 11%

Percentage of sexual assault offenders who were juveniles, 2000-2001: 8%

Ratio of offenders involved with Unlawful Entry with Intent who were juveniles, 2000-2001: 1 in 2

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology 2002, Australian Crime: facts and figures 2002, AIC, Canberra [viewed 29/11/2006].

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