Children committing violent crime up by a third in West Berkshire

Children committing violent crime in West Berkshire has increased by a third.

Last year (2024) saw a spike in offences committed by 11-year-olds with nine children committing 13 offences.

The peak age of offending for girls is within the 13-15 years age group, with 56 offences committed and representing 75.7 per cent of all offending.

There continues to be a significant increase in girls in West Berkshire who offend.

The Annual Youth Justice Plan is a strategic blueprint that charts the course for our collective efforts to support children, young people, and their families – ensuring they have every opportunity to realise their full potential.

Fifty four per cent of those children offending are on benefits, 64 per cent have high truancy from school, and 84 per cent with exclusion from school. Many say they take drugs and more than half of them have parents with mental health issues.

There is a high level of suspension and exclusion from schools within West Berkshire and poor attendance of children in education remains a significant risk factor to offending, according to the strategy report.

In 2024, the most prevalent offences were violence against the person (92 offences), drugs (44 offences), criminal damage (35 offences) and public order (27 offences). The most common violent offence remains assault by beating (62 offences).

Four children committed seven offences of violence against an emergency worker, while three children received outcomes for possessing a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place, compared to five in the previous year.

Drug offences recorded a sharp increase of 51.7 per cent, from 29 in 2023 to 44 in 2024, now representing 18.1 per cent of all offences.

In 2024, 117 boys committed 169 offences. Drugs offences committed by boys has increased by 48.1 per cent overall.

The peak age for receiving either a formal or informal outcome from the justice system has increased from 13 in 2023 to 15 in the current reporting period, which is more in keeping with previous years with the peak age sitting at 15/16.

In the 15-year-old group, 44 children committed 25 per cent (61) of all offences.

The West Berkshire Youth Justice Plan focusses on protecting communities, people and property, with specific targets that impact children ranging from early intervention in schools to addressing serious violence.

The Thames Valley Local Criminal Justice Board has a set of objectives which include reducing reoffending with a number of specific actions that are delivered by the partnership affecting children.

“We understand that many of these children have faced significant adversity, trauma, and disadvantage – realities that are acknowledged and reflected in the profile data included in this plan,” says the youth justice board in its new strategy.

“We remain steadfast in our efforts to deliver responsive, trauma-informed services that prioritise prevention, diversion, and relationship-based practice.

“Through this plan, we set out the progress made over the past year, track key performance indicators, and outline a clear, ambitious pathway for the year ahead – one that aspires to see every child and young person in West Berkshire live a life free from crime and full of possibility.”

The youth justice team highlights a range of risks which could impact its service on offer in the coming years – funding cuts to various programmes key among them.

The team also points to innovative ways in which it is trying to help those children offending or at risk of doing so.

These include health packs.

Following research about inequalities in oral health, these include dental care with information on how to brush your teeth as evidence shows that poor dental hygiene affects physical and mental health.

Also, food hampers are provided following a number of children attending sessions hungry.

Food hampers are now in both rooms where children attend sessions, they can help themselves and there are bags to take food away with them.

Youth justice officers can also take food hampers to children at home or in the community.