Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Research into the type and number of crimes committed by 12 to 30 year-olds was published by the Home Office  in Autumn 2000. The survey, "Youth Crime: Findings from the 1998/99 Youth Lifestyle Survey" shows that the ten per cent of juvenile offenders were responsible for nearly half of the crimes admitted by the sample. The survey looked at the extent of self-reported offending by 4,848 young people aged between 12 and 30 living in private households in England and Wales. The Youth Lifestyles Survey, on which the report is based, was carried out between October 1998 and January 1999.

Other findings include:

• Almost half of the 12 to 30 year olds involved in the survey admitted committing at least one offence at some point in their lives;

• Women were less likely to have offended (11 per cent had done so) than men (26 per cent) in the last year; and

• The average age at which offending began was 13½ for boys and 14 for girls;

• The survey also showed that there were marked differences in the nature of crime committed by men and women at different ages:

• Girls under 16 were most likely to be involved in criminal damage, shoplifting, buying stolen goods and fighting while over the age of 16 they were committing less criminal damage and shoplifting but were increasingly involved in fraud and buying stolen goods;

• Comparatively high rates of offending by 14 -15 year old boys reflected their involvement in fights, buying stolen goods and criminal damage;

• 16-17 year old boys showed a similar pattern of offending but were less involved in buying and selling stolen goods and criminal damage. Over a third of offences involved fighting; and

• The highest levels of offending were among 18-21 year old men and involvement in fraud and workplace theft began.

Click here to download the report in full PDF 293K