Prevalence and Factors Associated With Alleged Offending Among Children Aged 10–13 Years in the Northern Territory of Australia

Abstract

Recent policy discourse in Australia focuses on the minimum age of criminal responsibility with minimal attention to prevention strategies. Guided by theory which views child development within nested environmental contexts and recognises the cumulative impact of risk factors, this retrospective cohort study uses de-identified linked administrative data to investigate the prevalence of, and factors associated with, alleged offending among children aged 10–13 years (recorded in police data). The study included all Northern Territory (NT) government school children who turned 10 between 1/7/2014 and 30/6/2015 (turning 14 before 1/7/2019) and remained in NT until age 14 (n = 2530). Results showed 10.3% of children had at least one alleged offence before age 14, with higher rates among Aboriginal children. High levels of ‘crossover’ with the child protection system was identified among alleged offenders with 87.8% subject to child protection notifications and 10.0% with experiences of out-of-home care. Mental health issues (20.3%), exposure to domestic violence (64.0%) and school changes (57.5%) were common among alleged offenders. The findings suggest alleged youth offending has multiple risk factors, requiring a paradigm shift towards multifaceted, prevention-focused and culturally responsive interventions. This includes early intervention, public health approaches and acknowledging the existence of institutional racism and intergenerational trauma.