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Published figures show that, with the exception of a slight decrease
in the years between 1987 and 1990, there has been a continual
increase in the number of crimes recorded by the police over the past
50 years. It is likely that the numbers of crimes by juvenile offenders
has also increased during this period. Despite this, the number of
juveniles coming before the courts has reduced over the last 25 years
by approximately 65 per cent. It is known that most juvenile
offending is minor in nature and only a relatively small number of
juveniles persist in committing offences. Thus, over the past 25 years
increasing attention has been given to the diversion of child
offenders from the court system and alternative methods being used
to deal with children who offend.
Juvenile offenders coming before the courts now predominantly tend
to be those who are more persistent in their offending or who have
committed more serious offences. However, the SSI, in a recent
unpublished review of the operation of the Criminal Justice
(Children) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, found that, amongst those
entering juvenile justice centres on remand from the courts or
through short placements under the Police and Criminal Evidence
Act, there is an over representation of children coming from
residential children's homes. These children account for 20 per cent
of such placements.
One change that has had an impact on the number of juvenile
offenders coming before the courts, has been the establishment of
juvenile liaison bureaux to consider the cases of children who have
committed offences. The Black Committee Report recommended that
there should be an extension of police cautioning. The juvenile
liaison scheme has encouraged closer co-operation between agencies
such as probation, social services, education welfare and the police in
decisions about children who offend. The effect has been to divert
many child offenders away from the courts and for their cases to be
dealt with in other ways. In some cases a police caution is
administered; in others children and their families may be referred to
diversion projects or social services for continuing support. Research
data from cautioning schemes in England shows that 80 per cent of
children subject to a first formal caution do not re-offend.
Unfortunately although the juvenile liaison scheme has expanded
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