On Violent Crime Among UK Youth (2013) - Statistics Project Example

Statistics on Violent Crime Among UK Youth (2013) I. Statistics on Violent Crime among UK Youth (2013) Violent crime refers to actual or threatened aggression which accompanies the commission of an offense. The definition applies both in offenses where the cruel act is the aim, such as homicide, and offenses in which acts of hostilities are contribute to the commission of the offense such as a robbery. Some cases of violent crimes are executed with weapons while others are not. Violent crimes vary in terms of the impact on the victim and may be as simple as harassment or as serious as murder. The police and Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) have different descriptions of what constitutes violent crime: for example, the CSEW categorises robbery as a violent crime provided it was committed by a series of activities involving actual or threatened injury to the body of the victim. The police, however, leave out the crime from a list of violent crimes, mainly because in some cases manifest violence is not present. In addition, law enforcement agencies have also excluded murder and sexual violence from violent crimes for purposes of dealing the perpetrators commensurate punishments. Owing to the fact that 25% of all offenses are executed by juveniles, it is estimated that more half of the violent crimes in the United Kingdom in 2013 were committed by individuals who are between the ages of 16 and 25. Statistics indicate that members of the group engaged in more than a million cases of violent crimes in 2013 alone. The children and young adults, mostly in high school and colleges respectively were behind more than 50% of all homicides, robberies and burglaries (United Kingdom Defence & Security, 2014). II. Background of the issue The Home Office findings indicate that the youth aged between 16 and 25 engaged in the highest incidences of violent crime. Generally, the Home Office established that the young criminals were to blame for more than 50% of violent crimes as demonstrated in figure and table 1. Their overall of one in two violent cases of crimes is greater than previous figures, which put the percentage at less one in four cases. Government statistics show that almost 20% of all juvenile youth first apprehended in 2004 continued their delinquent behaviour through 2013, with 16-year-olds being most likely to engage in repeat offenses (Flatley, 2013). As such, the report indicates the youth crime estimates underscore the need of tackling deviance among juveniles in order to reduce violent crime. Reform of youth justice programs since 2003 have seen drastic decline in the prevalence of violent crime, especially for individuals who were subjected to detention, but a 2014 report published by the National Audit Office indicated reoffending rates had soared, especially among the youths subjected to community service as punishment for their violent criminal behaviour in the past (Government of the United Kingdom, 2013). The perceived acts of lenience by government agencies which are keen on getting many children offenders off detention centres led to almost 10% increase in repeated crimes between 2003 and 2013 (Flatley, 2013). Bettinson and Dingwall (2013) indicated that youth between the ages of 16 and 25 years of age are also expected to engage in repeat reoffending after completing their detention; more than half return to deviance within 12 months of their freedom. The findings appear to be ignored by government agencies, however. Instead, the UK government is keen on ridding the prisons and jails of the youth judging by different elaborate measures in place to subject more of the criminals to community service as punishment. The Home Office is sure that by doing so, the coalition government will reduce cases of violent youth crime and at the same time make the youth responsible within their respective community. This way, the move will be a practical step towards effective handling of violent crimes by UK’s youth in the long-term. III. Crime statistics There were 1.9 million cases of violent crimes reported in England and Wales in 2012-13. As such, CSEW suggested that individuals aged between 16 and 25 are to blame for more than half of the criminal incidents. The disproportion is likely can be attributed to the group’s experimenting with crime and the members’ poor knowledge of how the criminal justice system works. Regardless, Office for National Statistics (2013) wrote established that violent crime had declined by 13% between 2008 and 2013, with the tremendous improvement being attributed to constant multi-agency approach to crime prevention and control bringing together the criminal justice system, the executive through the Home Office, local governmental and non-governmental organizations, and institutions of learning. a) Assault In 2013, Office for National Statistics (2014) noted the category of violent crime with the highest prevalence among perpetrators aged between 16 and 25 are assault without injury, which accounted for up to 37%, followed by assault with slight injury at 28%, and assault with serious injury being less than 20% (figure and able 2). In addition, the prevalence of violent criminal acts directed at individuals who had been victims of the crime decreased by 68% between 1995 and 2013 in what can be attributed to proper synergy of multi-agency effort. The United Kingdom experienced the highest number of cases of violent crime in 1995 and thus, subsequent statistics on such cases have been weighed against the mid-1990s’ figures to gauge any cases of improvement or deterioration. Interestingly, the highest incidents of violent crime are reportedly perpetrated by the youth against members of their own group, with the statistics standing at 55% (Jansson, 2013). In addition, the statistics reveal that members of the group are more than twice more likely to be the target of violent crime as compared to other age groups. The disproportionate figures to the rest of the population can be attributed to the higher level of proximity among the youth to their victims or perpetrators. Bell, Fasani and Machin (2013) added that members of the group are most likely to engage in crime because they are still unmarried. This implies that single persons are more vulnerable to peer-influence into deviance than a married individual who would be too preoccupied with family or partner support to find time for deviance activities. b) Homicide Cases Homicide cases generally involve violence, especially where the victim is subjected to unbearable pain before his or her death. However, CSEW does not consider homicide cases as violent crime in what can be seen as an attempt by the organization to delineate the capital offense from other non-fatal cases of crime such as assault with slight injury. Regardless, 551 cases of homicide were registered by the end of 2013. The figures signified a rise by 20 points compared 2012 statistics. In addition, the figure was the second lowest to 521 such cases in 1989 (Flatley, 2013). With 2013’s 69% of homicide cases, males were disproportionately engaged or caught up in homicides or other violent crimes compared females as show in figure and table 3. More than half of the 16-25 year-olds were perpetrators of violent crime (Jansson, 2013). By contrast, 45% of all murder cases targeted at females were perpetrated by a current or former companion, compared to paltry 4% of their male counterparts. The trajectory underscores the fact that there is intra-group perpetration of violent crime among individuals who are aged between 16-25 years. Different weapons are used to perpetrate violent crime. These range from blunt objects, to sharp objects to lethal weapons such as a firearm. Owing to the less lethality of blunt objects and the low access to firearm by UK citizens due to strict gun licensing laws, knives and similar sharp weapons account for the highest number violent crime due to their easy accessibility (the United Kingdom Defence & Security, 2014). Knives and other similar sharp objects constituted the largest percentage of weapons used in violent crimes such as homicides, which accounted for 35% in 2013 (Jansson, 2013). Less than one-fifth of females were subjected to other violent crimes such as strangling or asphyxiation as compared to four times less cases in males, especially in domestic settings. c) Domestic abuse Males disproportionately accounted for domestic violence or sexual violent acts against their female partners. Generally, for every four males who perpetrated the violent crime in a domestic setting, an average of one female was involved. Owing to the fact that individuals who are aged between 16 and 25 constituted about 6% of the total population of the United Kingdom by 2013, cases of domestic violence were estimated at 114,000, with 4.4% being reported by men and 7.1% by females (Office for National Statistics, 2013). In these cases, violence by married partners encompassed experience of mental abuse such as stalking or threats of violence and or infliction of actual physical injury on the victim through assaults. Regardless, the most prominent manifestation of intimate violence across gender was non-sexual abuse. About 24% of females and 11% of males admitted to have been subjected to intimate violent crimes from as early as 16 (Office for National Statistics, 2014; figure and table 3). As such, about 100,000 of females aged between 16 and 25 underwent some kind of domestic violence from the time the age of 16 (Office for National Statistics, 2013). In a nutshell, there was a disproportionate prevalence of violent crime in individuals aged between 16 and 25 in the UK most members of the group were most likely to experiment with acts deviance and violent means of resolving disputes (Bell, Fasani, & Machin, 2013). The Home Office should liaise with the criminal justice system and learning institutions to instil discipline in members of the group as a way of preventing violent crime and limiting recurrent criminal cases in adulthood. IV. Conclusion Generally, individuals who are aged between 16 and 25 years account for the highest number of violent crime in the UK. The group is blamed for homicide, assault, partner battery and psychological abuse due to its poor dispute resolution skills. According to the 2013 statistics, cross-agency work is the most effective solution to violent crime. By involving law enforcement agencies, higher institutions of learning, community policing and crime reporting systems, the courts and correction facilities, the rate of violent crime will likely reduce. Appendices The Tables Overall % of crime in 16-25 year olds % of violent crimes in other population segments Violent crimes 55 45 Table 1 showing the overall statistics of violent crime among the youth aged between 16 and 25 years put against the rest of the population. Figure 1 showing the overall statistics of violent crime among the youth aged between 16 and 25 years put against the rest of the population. Point “1” shows the score of the focus group whereas point 2 shows the position of the rest of the population. Assault % of crime in 16-25 year olds % of violent crimes in other population segments Without injury 37 63 With slight injury 28 72 With serious injury 20 80 Table 2 showing assault cases violent crime Figure 2 showing different cases of assault as a violent crime. Series one represents the focus group while series 2 represents the rest of the population. Violent Crimes % of crime in 16-25 year olds % of violent crimes in other population segments Homicide 69 31 Domestic Violence 34 66 Table 3 showing Homicide and domestic violent cases within the group Figure 3 A graph showing Homicide and domestic violent cases within the group. “1” represents the focus group whereas “2” represents the rest of the population. References Bell, B., Fasani, F., & Machin, S., 2013. Crime and Immigration: Evidence From Large Immigrant Waves. Review of Economics & Statistics, 95(4), pp.1278-1290. Bettinson, V., & Dingwall, G., 2013. Challenging the Ongoing Injustice of Imprisonment for Public Protection: James, Wells and Lee v The United Kingdom. Modern Law Review, 76(6), pp.1094-1105. Flatley, J., 2013. Crime, Regional and Data Access Division. Retrieved from < http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime-and- sexual-offences--2012-13/index.html?format=hi-vis#skiptocontent> [Accessed 2 Apr. 2015]. Office for National Statistics. 2013. Statistical bulletin: Crime in England and Wales, Year Ending June 2013. Retrieved from < http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime- statistics/period-ending-june-2013/stb-crime-in-england-and-wales--year-ending-june- 2013.html> [Accessed 3 Apr. 2015]. Government of the United Kingdom. 2013. Crime statistics. Retrieved from [Accessed 4 Apr. 2015]. Jansson, K., 2013. British Crime Survey: Measuring Crime for 25 Years. Retrieved from [Accessed 4 Apr. 2015]. Office for National Statistics. 2014. Crime Statistics, period ending September 2013. Retrieved from [Accessed 2 Apr. 2015]. United Kingdom Defence & Security. 2014. United Kingdom Defence & Security Report, Q4 (4), pp.1-92. Read More