Youth crime is commonly described as a minor participating in illegal behaviours. These crimes are often dealt with swiftly, and the juvenile is put through rehabilitation courses to reduce the chances of re-offending.
In this article, we will be covering why youth crime is a problem, some of the factors that contribute towards youth crime, and how you can help prevent it.
Why Is Youth Crime A Problem?
In the year ending March 2023, the number of children who have been cautioned or sentenced for crimes has been gradually decreasing. However, the number of proven offences is rising, with the largest increases being in burglary (37% increase) and theft and handling stolen goods (23% increase). Fortunately, there has been a fall of 4% in crimes involving the possession of weapons.
Unfortunately, even with the decrease in some crimes, youth crime is still a problem. This is because committing crimes at such a young age can impact their futures, making them less likely to receive a thorough education and become less eligible for employment as a result. Ultimately, this lowers their quality of life as well. However, on top of impacting their own lives, the victims in most cases are innocent, suffering from potentially life-changing actions.
It should also be noted that the criminal justice system treats young people differently from adults. The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales starts at 10 years old. This means anyone between the ages of 10 and 17 can be arrested for crimes committed.
What Are The Types Of Youth Crime?
Just like adults, juveniles are capable of committing crimes. However, they will more commonly commit offences like criminal damage and theft or burglary. So, what are the different types of youth crime?
Theft
Theft is the act of taking another person’s property and permanently depriving them of it. Multiple kinds of theft can occur, like shoplifting, fraud, car theft, and robbery.
Compared to the year ending March 2013, March 2023 saw a drop in youths committing theft by 11.5%. Instead, it was robbery that saw a percentage point change of an increase by 1.3%.
Assault
Another crime that is commonly committed among youths is assault. This umbrella term tends to cover crimes such as common assault, grievous bodily harm (GBH), unlawful wounding, and sexual assault.
Tragically, unlike theft, assault has seen increases since March 2013. There was a noticeable increase of 12.4% during the years between March 2013 and March 2023. Concerningly, sexual offences have seen a 1.4% percentage point change as well.
Drug Abuse
Drug abuse is another one of the crimes that juveniles may commit. Most commonly, it is described as the habitual taking of illegal drugs. Crimes that fall under the drug abuse category are theft of drugs, drug trafficking, drug sales, and drug manufacturing.
Between the years ending March 2013 and March 2023, drugs has seen a marginal percentage point change of 0.2%.
Criminal Damage
Criminal damage is the unlawful damage of property that belongs to someone else. Graffiti, arson and forced entry are among the most common examples for this category of crime.
Fortunately, when it comes to youth crime statistics UK, there has been a decrease in the proportion of proven offences for criminal damage. Between the years of 2013 and 2023, there was a percentage point change of 3.7%. Whilst not much, things are still headed in the right direction.
Possession Of Weapons
Scarily, possession of weapons is often another one of the many crimes committed by juveniles. The illegal carrying of weapons, like knives and guns, can result in immediate arrest and consequently prosecution. This is caused by the fear of intent the weapon is carried for. If the weapon’s intended use is in public areas, it poses a threat to others.
In the year ending March 2023, there were just under 3,400 incidents of offensive weapon possession. And whilst it may have seen a 4% decrease when compared to 2022, it has soared by 23% when compared to 2013.
Fortunately, 98% of the cases that took place in 2023 were for the possession of the weapon. The remaining 2% were for threatening with the weapons.
What Are The Causes Of Youth Crime?
Before learning how to help prevent youth crime, it is first important to understand why juveniles may turn to crime in the first place. Unfortunately, there isn’t a sole reason behind why youths commit crimes, but it tends to be because of the following reasons.
Education
In some cases, young people turning to crime can come as a result of their level of education. If students consider themselves failing consistently, they may just give up entirely on their attempts to improve. As a result, they will instead gravitate toward acts of crime instead.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure can be another large contributing factor. Juveniles who are constantly surrounded by those who actively commit crimes may end up joining in to avoid ‘feeling left out’. This comes from a want to ‘fit in with the crowd’. Peer pressure can make it difficult to resist given the fear of being bullied by their peers or becoming lonely.
Abuse
It is also important to remember that youth crime isn’t always the result of peers. Environments can also have a large impact on their likeliness and drive to commit crimes. Juveniles who suffer from an abusive environment or family relations are unfortunately likely to develop negative self-esteem. This increases the chances of them caring less about their wellbeing.
Financial Issues
Growing up in poverty unfortunately means less opportunities may be available in life, like education, job opportunities and travel. These opportunities help to increase quality of life, and without them, people may feel the need to begin rebelling and lashing out in order to get what they want. As an example, those struggling through dire times may consider stealing to be a necessity.
Media
With the ever-growing popularity and accessibility of media, youths continue to become exposed to it. Juveniles may begin to show signs of aggressive or violent behaviour when repeatedly exposed to it through games or film. Alternatively, it is not uncommon for social media influencers to film themselves being nuisances and committing crimes framed as ‘pranks.’ When children see adults or role models performing these actions, they may feel inclined to copy them, seeing it as ‘cool’ or ‘engaging.’
In studies performed, there has been a noticeable association between screen violence and mental health. This often leads to an increase in bullying and cyberbullying among juveniles. Aggressive behaviour also tends to display in their childhood and can be a predictor of violent behaviours as they grow older.
Is Youth Crime Increasing In The UK?
In the year ending March 2023, Youth Justice Statistics found that roughly 5,000 children were cautioned and 59,000 arrested. Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 9%, and the second year in a row in which arrests were increasing. Compared to a slight drop in number of crimes being committed, this implies the severity of crime is increasing.
Source: Youth Justice Statistics
In total, there were 8,400 new first-time entrants to the Youth Justice System, which is the first time in 10 years the number has increased (by 1%) compared to the previous year. Fortunately, it is still the second-lowest number in the time series.
So, what can we learn from the youth crime statistics UK? They are beginning to indicate that juveniles need to be put through further rehabilitation and counselling. This should help to reduce the likelihood of them recommitting crimes once they leave the Youth Justice System.
Unfortunately, the sentencing of children also follows the trending increase. There were a total of 11,900 sentenced children, which is 8% higher than the previous year. Again, much like with the arrests, this was the first increase from the previous year in a decade.
How To Stop Youth Crime
It is unlikely that youth crime can be completely stopped. There are, however, actions that can be taken to prevent it from happening.
In a child’s life, their parents are the most influential figures. Because of this, they are far less likely to commit crimes if they are provided with a good influence and have a trusting, healthy relationship where the child isn’t afraid to communicate. This means agreeing on rules, being able to talk through problems calmly and reasonably, and also supporting each other.
Next to parents, schools should be playing a large part in influencing the behaviour of children. When teachers build up respectful relationships with their students and provide an environment they feel comfortable with, this can reduce the likelihood of behavioural issues. Students may feel safe enough to open up about concerns or issues they have and are likely to feel encouraged to attend school.
In addition to these, there are dedicated prevention programmes within local communities. These are designed to encourage young people to stay away from crime. If a juvenile finds themselves in trouble with the law, or there are concerns they might soon commit a crime, they can be placed on a programme.
With all of this in mind, it is frequently debated whether crime can be fully stopped or not. What is certain, though, is that if others are involved in helping, fewer youths will find themselves turning to crime in the future.
So, Why Is Youth Crime A Problem?
Youth crime has the destructive potential to limit a juvenile’s future. It can prevent them from completing certain levels of education, restrict them from getting a range of jobs and ultimately decrease their quality of life.
We have also briefly touched on some of the causes of youth crime, with the largest factors being peer pressure and home life. Additionally, we have delved into the types of youth crime, with some of the most common crimes committed being burglary and assault.
For further information on crime, consider taking a look at our blog. There, you will find articles on What Are The Different Types Of Crime? and Can Crime Be Eliminated?
Or, if you want to stay up to date with the latest security content, why not head to our official Region Security Guarding YouTube channel? There, you can find the latest security tips and tricks.
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