MEDIA RELEASE
9 February 2012	Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	13/2012

Offending rates are at their highest for older teenagers aged 15 to 19 years old, with nearly 6,000 offenders per 100,000 people aged 15 to 19 years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

For males, offending peaked at the age of 18, with 9,925 offenders per 100,000 males aged 18, with police taking action against almost one in ten eighteen year old males during 2010–11. Females peaked at 16, but with a much lower rate of 3,120 offenders per 100,000 females aged 16.

Overall, 10 to 19 year olds made up just over one quarter (28%) of all offenders and offenders aged 15 to 19 had the largest proportion (23%) of all offenders in Australia.

The most common offence for both male and female youth offenders was Theft. The male youth offending rate for Theft was 1,161 offenders per 100,000 males aged 10 to 19 years while the female youth offending rate was 772 offenders per 100,000 females aged 10 to 19 years.

During 2010–11 police proceeded against 371,040 alleged offenders over the age of 10, with males accounting for more than three-quarters (78% or 287,632) of the total. The number of male offenders was down by 0.9% on the previous year, while females offenders dropped by 1.9% (82,502) for a total decrease of 1.1%. Overall, this represented 1,892 offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over.

The most common principal offence for male offenders was Public Order Offences (20%) while Theft was most common with female offenders (30%).

More details are available in Recorded Crime - Offenders, 2010–11 (cat. no. 4519.0) available for free download from the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>


Media Note:

• This publication presents national crime statistics relating to alleged offenders aged 10 years and over who were proceeded against by police during the 2010–11 reference period. Data comes from administrative systems maintained by state and territory police agencies. Each offender is assigned a principal offence (most serious offence) if more than one offence is committed. Rates per 100,000 are quoted against the stated age cohort.
• When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.