FIGURES hit a three-year high with violent offences making up 55 per cent of all crime involving children and teens in Avon & Somerset.
A new investigation has revealed that more than half of all youth crime in the Avon & Somerset policing area involves violence.
Figures obtained by Legal Expert via Freedom of Information Requests show a “shocking and concerning” level of increased violent crime among youths in the county.
Avon & Somerset Police provided figures showing rising rates in violent youth crime in the last three years - with figures rising year on year.
Since 2021, 38,870 criminal offences in the district involved victims who were under 18 and 34,399 had suspects between the ages of 0-17.
Of these, violent crimes made up 52 per cent of all offences with a suspect under 18 and 61 per cent of all offences with a victim under 18.
Legal Expert solicitor Jane Davies said: “The rise in crime, especially violent crime involving young people is shocking and concerning.”
Between April 2023 and April 2024, police recorded 6,507 such offences where the suspect was under 18 and 9,253 with a victim under 18.
Avon and Somerset Police data also reveals that the second most common offence where the suspect was under 18 were Public Order Offences, with 1,195 crimes recorded in the last 12 months - this can include acts of violence disorder, public nuisance and threatening behaviour.
Sexual Offences were the second most common crime involving under 18 victims in Avon and Somerset with a total of 1,863 recorded in the last year.
Other common crimes involving children as either the victim or suspect included Arson and Criminal Damage, Theft, Robbery and Drug Offences.
In 2020/21, there were 537 cautions or convictions given to Under 18s, decreasing to 455 the following year and rising again to 477 in 2022/23.
Of those, 57 per cent related to violent crimes including Violence Against The Person, Robbery or Sexual Offences.
Data also shows that in the last 10 years, Violence Against The Person saw the biggest increase out of all other crimes involving under 18s, rising by 12.4 per cent since 2013 across England and Wales. Knife crime and violence also increased.
A landmark report by government advisers last year revealed that half of all teenagers witnessed or were victims of violence in England and Wales in 2022/23.
The survey, conducted by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) was the largest of its kind looking into what drives knife crime, bullying and gang rivalries and found “shocking and unacceptable” levels of youth violence.
It also confirmed the link between poverty and youth violence, reporting that a third of teenagers in families who rely on food banks were found to be victims of violence.
In 2022/23, the rate of child poverty stood at an alarming 33 per cent, according to figures by The Health Foundation.
Access to youth support and mental health services has also been linked to increased criminal involvement in children and teenagers.
Legal Expert solicitor Jane Davies added: “Young people who commit crimes can see their lives change forever once they enter the criminal justice system and moreover for victims of violence and their families, it can take a lifetime to rebuild and heal."
In February this year, Avon and Somerset Police launched a proactive operation involving a dedicated team of officers to disrupt serious violence involving children and young people in response to the local and national rise of such incidents.
This work includes using public intelligence to target high-visibility patrols in the most effective areas, checking businesses will not sell weapons to under-18s and utilising anti-social behaviour legislation and criminal behaviour orders to help prevent children from being involved in serious violence incidents.
Detective chief inspector Larisa Hunt said: "Having, a dedicated resource means we are able to identify trends and persistent offenders to provide better outcomes for the public.
"Tackling serious violence is not something we can enforce or police our way out of.
"While we will always investigate serious offences appropriately, we firmly believe in the power of education and that addressing issues around youth offending requires a collaborative effort of public agencies, including the emergency services, councils, schools and health providers."
Avon and Somerset Police are also currently involved in putting on workshops at schools, such as Blunt and Truth which is delivered in partnership with the NHS to educate children about the dangers of possessing a knife to them and others.
Similarly, officers from the early intervention and neighbourhood teams will, as part of their community work, visit schools in their areas to provide crime prevention and safety advice.
The detective chief inspector added: "Early intervention work is also being carried out to try to identify potential children at risk of being vulnerable to criminal exploitation so safeguarding work can be carried out, and we work closely with the Violence Reduction Partnership.
"The national guidance encourages police to avoid criminalising children for lower-level offences, instead favouring education and rehabilitation.
"By placing emphasis on engaging with the child to understand the reason they committed an offence in the first place, it allows agencies to work together to solve any problems that become apparent through that process. Research shows this is more likely to be an effective way of reducing the likelihood of the child reoffending."
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