The scale of criminality among youths in England and Wales was underlined yesterday by Home Office research which showed that one in 4 admitted committing a crime in the past year.The figures equate to an estimated 1.6 million 10- to 17-year-olds and 1.2 million 18- to 25-year-olds having committed an offence in the previous 12 months.
The most common "confessed" crimes were assaults and thefts and many were minor. However, the survey of 4,400 young people aged between 10 and 25 also disclosed that 13 per cent of those questioned admitted having committed a serious offence, such as burglary, robbery, assault, stealing a car or selling hard drugs.
A total of seven per cent were classified as a "frequent offenders" – having committed six or more crimes in the last year. They accounted for more than 80 per cent of all offences.
The Offending, Crime and Justice Survey showed that in the 10-17 age group two per cent admitted burglary; 19 per cent admitted violent offences; two per cent confessed to car theft and 13 per cent to other thefts. Two per cent said they had sold drugs. The survey did not cover young people in institutions, including jails, or the homeless, and therefore omitted some high offending groups.