Crimes by girls have rocketed

May 16 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

THE number of girls committing crimes in the North East has rocketed during the last two years, figures released yesterday revealed.

In the period 2006-07, 5,107 offences were committed by girls, compared to only 3,851 in 2004-05, an increase of over 32% in just two years.

The shock figures come from the Youth Justice Board (YJB) in their latest annual review of youth crime. Overall the number of youths committing offences in the region has also increased.

During the period 2006-07, a total of 23,341 offences were committed by youths aged between 10 and 17 in the North East, up from 21,005 in 2004-05. The figures include all crimes from robbery and arson to sexual offences. Det Chief Insp Alan Brown, of Northumbria Police, said: “We’re aware of the issues highlighted around young women and offending today.

“We work very closely with the Youth Justice Board and other multi-agencies to address any issues of anti-social behaviour and it remains a top priority.”

The figures for the region were reflected nationally, with the whole country seeing an increase in the number of girls committing crimes.

Elaine Arnull, who compiled a report on girls and crime for the YJB, said: “It looks like there might be a link between the increase in offences and the use of alcohol. But it is not just that girls are going out and committing more offences. The population of girls has increased, so you would expect to see more offences. Also, we think that the response to girls by agencies – schools, police, other people – has changed, so girls are possibly being prosecuted for offences they weren’t being prosecuted for before.

“It is fights between girls, principally – things like fights at school that the police weren’t called to in the past. Most offending by girls, especially violent offending, is of a very low level. It doesn’t mean it’s insignificant, but it is hair-pulling fights between girls.

“Certainly we think that it would be better for it to be dealt with outside the youth justice system.

“The bigger picture is that behaviour is changing and there is a link between girls using alcohol and violence – there is a change in behaviour, but it is not the dramatic change the figures might suggest.”

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: “This shows the extent to which violent crime is soaring among our youth. So much for Labour’s boast to get tough on crime and the causes of crime.”