Young Persons & Alleged Serious Criminal Offences

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spen666

Senior Member
Whilst we have always had children or young people ( referred to herein after as "young people" in this post) committing shocking crimes ( Mary Bell anyone?), there seems to be an increase in such allegations and or convictions.

This week alone, we have had 3 people arrested and charged in connection with a murder on the Isle of Sheppey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c23p1mzyp7lo

AND a 16 year old male arrested for rape and murder in Huddersfield of a 13 year old girl.
https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news-appeals/investigation-death-13-year-old-girl-huddersfield

Last week a 15 year old was convicted of murdering a fellow pupil at a Sheffield School
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5e4yw9pr2o

It doesn't take much searching online to find a string of such cases.

I have deliberately excluded anyone arrested or convicted of terrorism or ideological related crimes as there are likely to be other additional factors at play in their behaviour.

The people accused of the offences I quote above seem to be persons born and or raised in the UK - ie not immigrants, so we can probably rule out the knee jerk claims of some that it is a racial issue.

The cases I have quoted above also do not appear on information available in public at present to have a "county lines" drug gang background

So, given the above, why do we appear to be seeing an increase in non drugs related serious criminal allegations against young people
 
Easy access to hard core pornography and other online stuff, eg incel culture/Andrew Tate type popularity, is fuelling unhealthy attitudes towards sex in children and young people. Parenting failures, and police failings, lead to the group mentality where kids in gangs feel they can get away with anything because there aren't any real or immediate consequences.

That's my general view. It might not apply strictly to the cases you linked because the full details aren't available.
 

Ian H

Squire
Whilst we have always had children or young people ( referred to herein after as "young people" in this post) committing shocking crimes ( Mary Bell anyone?), there seems to be an increase in such allegations and or convictions.

This week alone, we have had 3 people arrested and charged in connection with a murder on the Isle of Sheppey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c23p1mzyp7lo

AND a 16 year old male arrested for rape and murder in Huddersfield of a 13 year old girl.
https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news-appeals/investigation-death-13-year-old-girl-huddersfield

Last week a 15 year old was convicted of murdering a fellow pupil at a Sheffield School
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5e4yw9pr2o

It doesn't take much searching online to find a string of such cases.

I have deliberately excluded anyone arrested or convicted of terrorism or ideological related crimes as there are likely to be other additional factors at play in their behaviour.

The people accused of the offences I quote above seem to be persons born and or raised in the UK - ie not immigrants, so we can probably rule out the knee jerk claims of some that it is a racial issue.

The cases I have quoted above also do not appear on information available in public at present to have a "county lines" drug gang background

So, given the above, why do we appear to be seeing an increase in non drugs related serious criminal allegations against young people

Probably just an increase in copycat reporting.
It's mere anecdote without looking at actual data.
 

Psamathe

Über Member
So, given the above, why do we appear to be seeing an increase in non drugs related serious criminal allegations against young people
Highlighting a few recent cases does not suggest any trend. Need longer term data and historic data.

I have no idea about trends but certainly reporting has changed a lot. Tragic but when I was a lot younger studying we have student suicides, students hospitalised for drug (non-alcohol) problems, etc. and that was just in the department I was studying in same year as me. None even got into the local press whereas I feel that these days there would be calls for inquiries, demands for <x>'s law, etc.

And we are in the season where press don't have as much to report as when Parliament is active and in session so possible aspect the stories that might have not got coverage are now included.

So are the recent cases actually a long term trend?

Ian
 
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So, given the above, why do we appear to be seeing an increase in non drugs related serious criminal allegations against young people

It may only be increased reporting and awareness that you're seeing.

What does the ONS data say about the statistical trend of youth offending over, say, the past twenty years?
 
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