40% Rise In Number Of Girls Caught Up In Crime

The number of girls involved in crime has increased by more than 40% in just five years. More than 4200 female offenders were referred to Scotland’s children’s hearing system in 2005-06, new figures revealed yesterday. That is up from fewer than 3000 in 2000-01, as increasing numbers of girls become sucked into a culture of fighting, drinking and thieving.

The Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration (SCRA) yesterday stressed that boys were still three times more likely to be referred for offending than girls – almost 13,400 youths went before panels last year, up from 10,500 in 2000-01.

However, the rise in crime among girls is putting a huge strain on the children’s hearing system and social work departments.

It is also contributing to a growth in youth offending that is already thought to account for nearly one-third of all crime and disorder committed across Scotland.

The leap in girl crime comes despite the fact most of those involved have been known to the authorities for years.
A recent study carried out by SCRA found that four-fifths of female persistent young offenders were first referred to the hearing system on welfare grounds. Some 29% of persistent girl offenders had been on the books of the system before they were five.

Hearing system insiders admit more needs to be done to stop vulnerable girls and young women drifting into crime.
Tom Philliben, SCRA’s director of reporter operations, said: “Children who are persistent young offenders tend to have complex problems and to have been referred at an early age because of concerns about their care and protection. For girls, this is significantly more likely to have been the case than for boys.”

George Anderson, the Falkirk volunteer who represents the chairmen of Scotland’s children’s panels, confirmed the rise in girl criminals and warned that offences they were carrying out were becoming more serious.

He said: “Over the years we have moved away from young women coming before us for typical shoplifting offences, such as stealing make-up out of Boots. We have moved to a much more serious laddish type of culture, with more assaults and fights over boyfriends. The difference between masculinity and femininity is starting to disappear.”

Most youngsters referred to the children’s reporter for offending are aged 8-15. The figures, however, include some 16 and 17-year-olds dealt with by the panels.

Mr Anderson and other experts, however, stress that girls are not as nasty as boys. Research in Edinburgh two years ago shows crimes girls commit are still very different from those carried out by boys.

The Edinburgh Study into Youth Transitions and Crime of 2004 found girls were more likely to steal from home, cause graffiti or play truant. Boys, it discovered, are more prone to housebreaking, robbery, theft from cars, cruelty to animals and carrying a weapon.

Earlier this summer, Strathclyde Police revealed the number of offences carried out by girls in its area had risen 50% in the past three years. The total number of offences recorded was 4661.

The Herald has previously revealed that the Scottish Executive had failed in its attempt to cut the number of persistent young offenders by 10% this year. There are still 1388 children who last year committed more than five offences in any six-month period.