Introduction
The Audit Commission estimated in 1996 that
people under 18 years commit seven million offences a year against
individuals, retailers and manufacturers, with public services
spending over £1billion a year dealing with offending by young
people.
(Misspent youth: young people
and crime.
Audit Commission, 1996. ISBN
1862400075)
The great majority of young people who commit
these offences do so infrequently. But a small hard core of
persistent offenders is responsible for a disproportionate amount of
crime. Home Office research has found that about 3% of young
offenders commit 22% of youth crime (14-25 year-olds).
Flood-Page, C. Campbell, S., Harington, V. & Miller, J.
(2000) Youth Crime Findings from the 1998/99 Youth Lifestyles
Survey. Home Office Research Study 209. Home Office. London.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hors209.pdf)
Figures for 1999 show that 0.2% of males born in
1978 had six or more court appearances by age 17 and accounted for
28% of all court appearances for that age group.
(Criminal careers of those born between 1953 and 1978..
Home Office Statistical Bulletin; 4/2001)
These crimes can range from anti-social behaviour
to serious offending. Persistent young offending if left unchecked
can result in young criminals becoming adult offenders.
The purpose of this Toolkit is to assist Crime
& Disorder Reduction Partnerships to develop strategies and
action plans aimed at:
- Targeting Persistent Young Offenders, to get them to change
their behaviour, which can have a significant effect on the
overall level of youth crime
- Tackling young offenders who have, as yet, not developed an
entrenched pattern of offending
- Deterring first time young offenders from becoming more deeply
involved in crime and;
- Discouraging young people at risk from getting involved in
crime
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