Young offenders

Young Offenders

Southampton has a relatively young age profile, with the population aged 10 to 24 years predicted to grow by +7% by 2029. There is evidence to suggest that young people can be at a higher risk of becoming involved in crime, either as a victim or an offender. The likelihood of a young person becoming involved in crime increases with negative risk factors such as, but not limited to experiencing adverse childhood experiences, family conflict, poor attendance and exclusion from school. The above factors highlight the importance of early intervention to prevent young people from becoming involved in crime in the first place.

13.5% of victims and 14.6% of suspects or offenders identified in Southampton in 2022/23 were aged under 18 years. The risk of young people becoming involved in crime also varies across crime groups, with certain crimes skewed towards younger age profiles, for example violent crime.

Across England and Wales, reoffending among young offenders remains high, with almost a third of young people reoffending within 12 months. Similar patterns are seen in Southampton, with 41.6% of youth offenders reoffending (2020/21 cohort). Although these figures may seem high, it is important to note that figures for Southampton are based on a small cohort of youth offenders (548 offenders and 228 reoffenders in 2020/21).

A summary report and slide set produced as part of the 2022/23 Strategic Assessment are available to download below. The interactive community safety dashboard can be accessed using the link below. For more information on crime in Southampton, see the Safe City Strategic Assessment page.