Youth offenders up six per cent with a quarter of teen criminals charged over violent acts

An increase in the biggest crime young Australians are being charged over appears to be driven by female youth offenders, new figures show.

Australia’s youth crime surge has been confirmed with a six per cent rise in offenders.

Newly released figures show there were 48,014 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years in 2022-23, an increase of 2804.

The number of youth criminals has been steadily rising, and lifted two per cent the previous year, but the latest numbers reveal the first increase in the rate of youth offending since 2009.

After accounting for population growth, the youth offender rate was up from 1778 to 1847 offenders per 100,000 persons aged between 10 and 17 years.

It comes amid nationwide shock following the alleged stabbing murder of a grandmother in Queensland at the weekend.

Vyleen White was fatally stabbed at an Ipswich shopping centre after an alleged attempted carjacking.

The scene at Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre in Ipswich where Vyleen White was stabbed. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The 16-year-old boy accused of Ms White’s murder had been on bail for multiple armed robbery offences at the time.

The biggest crime young Australians were being charged over was acts intended to cause injury – with one in four young criminals before the courts for this offence, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

The increase appears to be driven by female youth offenders with a big rise of 25 per cent from the previous year for the violent offences to its highest ever level, while males rose only 12 per cent.

Despite this, the male youth offender rate was around double the rate of female youth offenders and the majority of youth offenders, at 68 per cent, were males.

Illicit drug as a main offence in the youth category dropped for the eighth consecutive time.

The most common age of youth offenders overall was 16 years.

In New South Wales, there were 18,390 offenders, up two per cent, who made up 16 per cent of overall offenders in the state.

Reckless Melbourne youth gangs are brandishing weapons on social media. Picture: Supplied

Victoria had 8175 offenders – up 16 per cent – making up 12 per cent of the total offenders. The Victorian increase was fuelled by violent acts, up 23 per cent.

Queensland had 10,878 offenders an increase of six per cent and which made up 13 per cent of the overall offenders in the Sunshine State.

There were 2194 offenders in South Australia, up 11 per cent, which was nine per cent of total offenders.

There were 6278 offenders in WA, an increase from the previous year of four per cent. Youth offenders comprised 17 per cent of total offenders in Western Australia.

In Tasmania, there were 1012 offenders an increase of 14 per cent from the previous year, with youth 14 per cent of total offenders in the sate.

There were 754 offenders in the Northern Territory which was nine per cent of total offenders While the number of youth offenders remained stable from 2021–22, after accounting for population change, the youth offender rate decreased, the only jurisdiction where this occurred.

There were 332 offenders comprising 13 per cent of total offenders in the Australian Capital Territory. The number of youth offenders increased by 49 per cent, although the previous figure was the lowest recorded.

There has been a six perc cent increase in youth offenders. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Miscellaneous offences decreased by 75 per cent as a principal offence for youth offenders, down 2814 offenders from the previous year to 963 offenders in 2022–23. Most miscellaneous offences over the past few years had been fines issued for Covid related offences.

The ABS said a decrease in Covid related charges led to an overall decrease in the number of adult offenders despite most offence categories showing increases since last year.

The overall offending rate for the adult population actually decreased to its lowest level since the ABS began its survey of offender crimes and was part of a six per cent fall in offenders.

There were 347,742 offenders in 2022-23 – down 21,746 – to the lowest level in 16 years.