United Kingdom
With a criminal record
Key points
- 100,000 children aged 10 to 17 were found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences in 2008. This is substantially less than in the previous year (130,000) and reverses what had been a rising trends.
- Both the fall in the latest year and the rises in the years before that are largely accounted for by changes in the number of cautions, with the numbers found guilty having remained stable throughout.
- Half of the 100,000 offences were committed by children aged 15 or under.
- The peak rate for offending is at age 17, with rates being much lower from age 21 onwards and below the age of 15.
- Nearly half of all the offences committed in 2008 involved theft, with violence against the person and drug offences being the other two big groups.
- Three times as many boys are found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences as girls. Among girls, theft is by far the most likely crime to be committed, accounting for two-thirds of all crimes committed by girls. By contrast, although still the largest single category, theft accounts for just a third of the crimes committed by boys.
Graph 1: Over time
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Graph 2: By age (rates)
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Graph 3: By age (shares)
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Graph 4: By gender
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Why this indicator was originally chosen
The heightened risks of being socially disadvantaged, either immediately or later on as a result of acquiring a criminal record, underpins the choice of this indicator. Moreover, high reconviction rates of those aged under 17 discharged from custody illustrate the greater risks of young offenders developing criminal careers which may exclude them from mainstream society on a long-term basis. In 1993, 90% of young offenders were re-convicted within two years: Criminal statistics, England and Wales 1996, Home Office, 1996, page 48.
Definitions and data sources
The first graph shows the number of children between the ages of 10 and 17 who were either formally cautioned for, or convicted of, an indictable offence.
The second graph shows, for the latest year, the number of indictable offences per 1,000 population by age group. For comparison purposes, the rates for adults are also shown.
The third graph shows, for the latest year, the proportion of indictable offences by each age group between 10 and 17.
The fourth graph shows, for the latest year, the number of indictable offences by gender and type of offence.
The data source for all the graphs is Ministry of Justice's Criminal Statistics and the data relates to England and Wales. Note that the cautions are formal cautions only.
Overall adequacy of the indicator: medium. The figures are police-recorded crime only and should not be taken as accurate estimates of the total extent of crime carried out by children.
External links
For a discussion of the links between crime, deprivation and social exclusion, see the crimeinfo website.
See the Youth Justice Board site.
Relevant 2007 Public Service Agreements
Overall aim: Increase the number of children and young people on the path to success
Lead department
Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Official national targets
Reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training by 2 percentage points by 2010.
Reduce the under-18 conception rate by 50% by 2010 as part of a broader strategy to improve sexual health.
Other indicators of progress
Young people participating in positive activities.
Young people frequently using drugs, alcohol or volatile substances.
First-time entrants to the Criminal Justice System aged 10-17.
Overall aim: Increase the proportion of socially excluded adults in settled accommodation and employment, education or training
Lead department
Cabinet Office.
Official national targets
None.
Other indicators of progress
- Care leavers at 19 in suitable accommodation.
- Offenders under probation supervision and in settled and suitable accommodation.
- Adults in contact with secondary mental health services in settled accommodation.
- Adults with learning disabilities in settled accommodation.
- Care-leavers at 19 in education, training and employment.
- Offenders under probation supervision in employment.
- Adults in contact with secondary mental health services in employment.
- Adults with learning disabilities in employment.
The numbers
Graph 1
| Year | Found guilty | Cautioned | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | Girls | Total | Boys | Girls | Total | |
| 1995 | 37,200 | 5,000 | 42,200 | 64,500 | 26,200 | 90,700 |
| 1996 | 39,200 | 5,200 | 44,400 | 58,300 | 21,700 | 80,000 |
| 1997 | 40,700 | 5,600 | 46,300 | 54,800 | 18,800 | 73,600 |
| 1998 | 43,300 | 6,300 | 49,600 | 55,800 | 21,400 | 77,200 |
| 1999 | 44,000 | 6,500 | 50,500 | 50,700 | 19,200 | 69,900 |
| 2000 | 42,400 | 6,600 | 49,000 | 45,300 | 19,000 | 64,300 |
| 2001 | 43,400 | 6,900 | 50,300 | 44,000 | 19,300 | 63,300 |
| 2002 | 42,400 | 6,500 | 48,900 | 39,900 | 16,700 | 56,600 |
| 2003 | 39,500 | 6,400 | 45,900 | 41,000 | 17,800 | 58,800 |
| 2004 | 40,300 | 6,700 | 47,000 | 44,600 | 21,300 | 65,900 |
| 2005 | 40,700 | 7,100 | 47,800 | 49,100 | 24,400 | 73,500 |
| 2006 | 40,800 | 6,800 | 47,600 | 51,900 | 25,300 | 77,200 |
| 2007 | 43,700 | 7,300 | 51,000 | 49,800 | 25,600 | 75,400 |
| 2008 | 39,500 | 6,500 | 46,000 | 38,900 | 19,100 | 58,000 |
Graph 2
| Age | Per 1,000 population |
|---|---|
| 10 | 1 |
| 11 | 3 |
| 12 | 7 |
| 13 | 14 |
| 14 | 23 |
| 15 | 31 |
| 16 | 34 |
| 17 | 36 |
| 18 | 34 |
| 19 | 33 |
| 20 | 30 |
| 21-24 | 24 |
| 25-29 | 21 |
| 30-39 | 13 |
| 40-49 | 7 |
| 50-59 | 2 |
| 60+ | 0.5 |
Graph 3
| Age | Share |
|---|---|
| 10-13 | 17% |
| 14 | 15% |
| 15 | 20% |
| 16 | 23% |
| 17 | 25% |
Graph 4
| Type of offence | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| Theft | 28,600 | 17,400 |
| Violence against the person | 13,100 | 3,700 |
| Drug offences | 13,600 | 1,100 |
| Burglary | 8,000 | 600 |
| Criminal damage | 5,100 | 900 |
| Other | 10,200 | 2,000 |