Teenage girls committing more crime - research
03/07/2005 - 10:10:42Teenage girls are committing more crime than ever, according to research carried out for the Government.
It shows a sudden rise in juvenile crime since 1999 - with behaviour in girls getting considerably worse.
The Juvenile Justice Study examines criminal offences by young people in Ireland since 1976.
It shows 78% of female juvenile crime was carried out by girls aged between 17 and 20.
The most common offence is theft but there has been a sharp rise in violence among girls since the late 1990s.
The research also shows that more prosecutions are being brought against girls.
Experts are blaming the trend on an increase in drinking and drug-taking and the social pressures facing young girls.
