Towards a developmental understanding of violence

Abstract

Young offenders (under 20 years old) account for more than half of the violent crimes in the UK. Statistics on the onset of serious and violent delinquency show us that about half of persistent juvenile offenders are ‘active’ by age 12–13 years. Prevalence peaks between the ages of 17 and 18, but most serious delinquent offenders have started their offending careers much earlier.