Nature and Extent of Youth Offending

1. most juveniles will ‘grow out’ of offending and adopt law-abiding lifestyles as they mature

2. Until the mid-nineteenth century, there was no separate category of ’juvenile offender’ in Western legal systems and children as young as six years of age were incarcerated in Australian prisons (Cunneen & White 2007)

3. a juvenile is aged between 10-17 years old in australia

4. In 2007–08, the offending rate for persons aged 15 to 19 years was four times the rate for offenders aged more than 19 years

5. Juvenile offenders require a higher duty of care

6. youth crime waves

7. crime statistics are limited when youth offending in considered

8. Persons aged 15 to 19 years are more likely to be processed by police for the commission of a crime than are members of any other population group

9. juveniles are more frequently apprehended by police in relation to offences against property than offences against the person