- Shocking figures reveal 450 sexual offences committed by Queensland minors
- Those figures encompass child offenders aged from 10 to 16 years old
- More than 90 of the reported cases of sexual abuse were for rape
New figures show that half the cases of child sex abuse in Queensland are perpetrated by other minors, with children aged 10 to 16 committing hundreds of sex crimes every year.
Figures obtained by The Sunday Mail show that children within the 10 to 16 age bracket committed 450 sexual offences during 2017.
Queensland criminologist and deputy director of Griffith Youth Forensic Service Danielle Harris said there were a range of factors behind the abusive behaviour.
New figures show that half the cases of child sex abuse in Queensland are perpetrated by other minors with children aged 10 to 16 committing hundreds of sex crimes every year
Triggers tend to include some children being ‘wired a certain way’ or experiences of abuse in their own lives. However, there was no hard and fast rule, Miss Harris said.
‘For one kid, that might be he was sexually abused since he was six months old … but it might also just be maltreatment or neglect,’ she explained.
Miss Harris treats some of Queensland’s worst juvenile sex offenders after they have already gone through the court system.
She said the service has already achieved good results with a solid record of no re-offending by their clients in the past number of years.
Queensland criminologist and deputy director of Griffith Youth Forensic Service Danielle Harris said there were a range of factors which caused the abusive behaviour
She said they were able to achieve these results by opening up clear channels of communication with juvenile offenders and explaining the impact their behaviour has.
‘(Children) need to have that language that allows you to describe to a trusted adult if someone, even one of your trusted people, has done something that made you feel uncomfortable,’ she said.
Miss Harris said by targeting the program at children as young as six years old they may be able to prevent any possible offending in the future
She said by targeting the program at children as young as six years old they may be able to prevent any possible offending in the future.
Of the 450 sexual offences by minors in 2017 more than 90 were cases of rape.
Her programs also teach children about what is ‘good touching’ and what is ‘bad touching’.
The programs also teach them about healthy sexuality and helping them overcome their traumatic pasts.
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