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Australian Crime: Facts and Figures 2002

Alleged offenders

This chapter presents data on alleged offenders, classified according to gender and age. These data should be interpreted with great caution. The main purpose is to give an indicative view of major issues relating to offenders, in particular the following:

  • What is the age at which offender rates peak?
  • Is the age pattern of male offender rates similar or different to that of females?
  • Are female offender rates on the increase?

The ABS does not publish offender data. Official data on gender and age of alleged offenders are published by the police services of Victoria, Queensland and South Australia and refer to the number of persons who have allegedly committed a criminal offence and who have been processed for that offence. Police statistics on alleged offenders are not available from New South Wales or the remaining states and territories. Therefore, the data in this chapter are taken from Victorian, Queensland and South Australian police statistics.

The number of alleged offenders does not equate to the number of distinct alleged offenders during a year because police may take action against the same individual for several offences or the individual may be processed on more than one occasion for the same offence. Nor does it equate to the total number of crimes cleared during a given period.

Throughout this chapter, the terms 'offender' and 'offender rate' refer to alleged offenders and the alleged offender rate.

The term 'total (alleged) offender population' refers to the total number of (not necessarily distinct) individuals aged 10 years and over processed by police for any of the offences listed below in the states of Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. The rates of total offenders included in the tables and graphs in this chapter are calculated relative to the total population aged 10 years and over in these jurisdictions (Reference 3).

The offender data included here are specific to the following major types of crime:

  • homicide (murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, infanticide and driving causing death);
  • assault;
  • sexual assault;
  • robbery;
  • unlawful entry with intent;
  • motor vehicle theft; and
  • other theft (theft from a vehicle, theft from shops, other theft).

Source: References 3, 16, 17, 18 and 19

Gender

Age

Persons aged 15 to 19 years (males and females) are most likely to be processed by police regarding the commission of a crime. In 2000-2001 the offending rate for persons aged 15 to 19 years was more than five times the offender rate for the remainder of the population.

Females

Juveniles

There are differences between the states in the definition of a juvenile. In Victoria and Queensland the definition includes persons aged between 10 and 16 years. In South Australia, however, a juvenile is a person aged between 10 and 17 years. In this section, for the purposes of maintaining comparability, the term 'juvenile offender' includes alleged offenders aged 10 to 16 years.

In 2000-2001, juveniles accounted for about one-quarter of the total offender population.

Compared to adults, juveniles are less likely to commit violent offences such as homicide, assault and sexual assault. They are more likely to commit other offences.

Specific offences

Gender-age patterns of offenders vary between offences and over time.

While males account for the majority of offenders for each type of crime discussed in this section, the level of female involvement in crime has increased, for most offences, since 1995-1996.

The age structure of the offender population also differs according to gender. A larger percentage of female offenders are juvenile compared to male offenders.

Homicide

Assault

Approximately 13% of assault offenders in 2000-2001 were juveniles, although this trend was not uniform across gender groups. Juveniles accounted for 21% of female offenders compared to only 11% of male offenders.

Sexual assault

In 2000-2001, 99% of all sexual assault offenders were male. Eight per cent of the offender population were juveniles, a pattern that has remained stable since 1995-1996.

Robbery

Motor vehicle theft

Unlawful entry with intent

In 2000-2001, one in every two offenders involved with UEWI was less than 20 years of age.

Other theft

Relative to the other major crimes included in this chapter, 'other theft' offences, such as shoplifting, had the greatest amount of female involvement. In 2000-2001, about one in 3.5 offenders involved with stealing was female.