4524.0 - In Focus: Crime and Justice Statistics, September 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 22/09/2011  First Issue
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GENDER DIFFERENCES

Youth victimisation and offending affects both males and females, however patterns and trends vary between the sexes.

Young men and women and their experiences of victimisation: selected offences

In the 12 months prior to interview in 2009-10, 7.4% of males aged between 15 and 24 years experienced at least one physical assault, compared to 4.1% of females. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the physical assault victimisation rate between males and females aged 25 years and over (2.5% for males and 2.1% for females).

In terms of threatened assault, there was no significant difference in the victimisation rate between males and females aged between 15 and 24.

PERSONS AGED 15-24 YEARS, VICTIMISATION RATES(a) BY GENDER, 2009-10

Source: ABS Crime Victimisation, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4530.0)

Whether the most recent incident of selected offences was reported to police

Of male victims of physical assault aged 15-24, 38.8% responded that the most recent incident had been reported to police. Similar reporting rates (Endnote 16) for the most recent incident of physical assault were estimated for female victims aged 15-24 (40.5%). In contrast, male victims of sexual assault aged 18-24 had a higher estimated reporting rate (48.3%) for their most recent incident in comparison to female victims aged 18-24 of sexual assault (39.0%).

VICTIMS OF SELECTED PERSONAL CRIMES, WHETHER MOST RECENT
INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO POLICE(a)(b) BY GENDER AND AGE, 2009-10

Source: ABS Crime Victimisation, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4530.0)


Young men and women as criminal offenders

In 2009-10 the number of males proceeded against and recorded by police per 100,000 males was higher than the number of females proceeded against and recorded by police per 100,000 females. The highest rate of offenders proceeded against by police was for males aged 15-19 years with 8,538 offenders per 100,000 males. For females aged 15-19 years, the rate was 2,970 offenders per 100,000 females.

For persons aged 10 to 14 years, the rate of offenders proceeded against by police for males was almost double that of females (2,074 per 100,000 for males compared to 1,071 per 100,000 for females).

YOUTH OFFENDER RATE(a) BY GENDER AND AGE, 2009-10

Source: ABS Recorded Crime–Offenders, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4519.0)

Young men and women as criminal offenders: most common principal offence

Theft was the most common principal offence for female offenders in 2009-10 (36.3% of female offenders had a principal offence of theft). For males, the most common principal offence type was public order offences (22.3% of male offenders had a principal offence of public order offences). There was little difference between the proportion of female and male youth offenders with a principal offence of acts intended to cause injury (17.3% and 16.3% respectively).

OFFENDERS, SELECTED PRINCIPAL OFFENCE BY GENDER, 2009-10

Source: ABS Recorded Crime–Offenders, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4519.0)



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