How do we break youth crime cycle?

A SMALL group of persistent child criminals is responsible for nearly half of all juvenile crimes across the state, according to latest figures from the courts.

42 per cent of youth crime could be attributed to just 10 per cent of offenders.

A SMALL group of persistent child criminals is responsible for nearly half of all juvenile crimes across the state, according to latest figures from the courts.

Children’s Court of Queensland president Judge Michael Shanahan says attantion must be focused on those children to break the cycle of offending.

The court’s 2015-16 annual report states there were 3742 children aged 10-17 who had a charge disposed of in a Queensland court. But analysis showed 42 per cent of offences could be sheeted home to just 10 per cent of that group.

“This represents a number of persistent offenders who commit multiple offences,” Judge Shanahan said.

“It is this identifiable group to which attention must be given in attempts to rehabilitate if a significant decrease in offending is to be achieved.”

The most common charges across all juveniles were theft, unlawful entry with intent, public order offences and property damage.

Another trend identified in the report was the increasing number of girl offenders – they account for slightly more than one in four young criminals.

Rising rates of children held in detention on remand were listed an area of “major concern” by Judge Shanahan.

The report noted that detention was being used to house children who had no suitable home to go to while they waited to have their charges dealt with in magistrates courts where delays now stretch to a year.

Nearly 80 per cent of children in detention were there on remand rather than as a sentence for a proven offence.

Judge Shanahan also noted a stark over-representation of indigenous youths.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander juveniles were 10 times more likely as other juveniles to have a charge disposed of in a Queensland court,” he said.

The situation was worse in cases of juveniles in detention.

“Two out of every three young people in youth detention on an average day are indigenous,’’ he said.