The number of juvenile delinquents, which was below 100,000 in 2010, doubled in 2022 to 206,853. In other words, the number of children dragged into crime increased by 148% in the 12 years between 2010-2022.
The report, in which injury, theft and drug crimes are at the top of the list, reveals the increase in crimes involving children.
CHP Poverty Solidarity Office published the “Children Driven to Crime File”.
The file included the determination that the number of juvenile delinquents has increased by 148% in the last 12 years.
The following statements are included in the file, where the three priority crimes are injury, theft and drug offenses:
“The Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) published statistics on children who came or were brought to the security unit in August in 2022. Accordingly, the number of incidents involving children who came to or brought to security units last year increased by 20.5 percent compared to 2021, reaching 601,754. The number of juvenile delinquents, which was below 100,000 in 2010, doubled in 2022 to 206,853. In other words, the number of children dragged into crime increased by 148% in the 12 years between 2010-2022. The three primary offenses charged were injury, theft, and drugs. Of the children who came or were brought to the security units because of being dragged into crime, 37.8 percent of them were injured, 25.2 percent of them were theft, 4.5 percent of them were using, selling or buying drugs or stimulants, and 4.2 percent of them. the crime of violating the passport law, and 4.1 percent of them were charged with threats."
POVERTY IS THE BIGGEST FACTOR
In the report, it was emphasized that researches show that the number of children driven into crime will increase as poverty deepens.
It was noted that when child poverty is prevented with the right policies, the number of children dragged into crime will also decrease, and for this, a holistic approach should be fought with all its dimensions.
In the report, it is stated that the child dragged into crime is also a victim.
"The reason a child is in conflict with the law is likely to indicate that the child is in a cycle of poverty/deprivation, neglected by their parents," the report said.
“50-70 PERCENT OF YOUTH ENTITLED TO CRIME HAS AT LEAST ONE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER”
The economic situation of the families of the children involved in crime was also examined in the report.
According to this; While economic problems occupied an important place among the reasons leading to crime, the following statements were included in the evaluation on the subject:
"With the deepening of poverty, the impact of economic violence experienced by families is also reflected on children, and this causes an increase in domestic violence cases or causes children to drop out of school and become 'child labour'. Children who turn to the streets to support the family budget are vulnerable in these environments; They become vulnerable to 'delinquency' and involvement in crime. The retrospective files of 107 children evaluated by forensic psychiatric examination by Dicle University were analyzed. It was determined that the children included in the study had high male gender, school dropout rates, substance use, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavioral disorder and low socioeconomic level. While the school attendance rate was only 34.6 percent, 28 percent of the children had a criminal history. In a study conducted throughout Turkey and cited in the same study, 41.9 percent of the children do not attend regular school, 26.6 percent do not live with their parents, 30.1 percent of the mothers are illiterate, 33 percent of the fathers are illiterate. It was determined that 8 of them completed primary school, 38 percent of them had immigrant families and 24.9 percent of them used substances. In addition, 50-70 percent of young people involved in crime were found to have at least one psychiatric disorder. Research shows that juvenile delinquency is concentrated in cities. In addition, if precautions are not taken, the risk of repeating the crime is high. Again, experts list the most important reasons for repetition of crime such as school failure, absenteeism, dropout, substance abuse, and individuals associated with crime at home."
“DRUG CRIMES INCREASED NEARLY 10 PERCENT”
It was also stated in the report that the number of children brought to security units for the crimes of using or selling drugs in 2022 increased by almost 10 percent from 25 thousand 465 to 27 thousand 78.
While the number of children aged 12-17 entering prisons in 2021 was 999, this number increased by 37 percent to 1,373 by the end of 2022.
According to the data shared on the website of the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses, as of July 3, 2023, a total of 1,559 children, including 1,496 boys and 63 girls, were in detention, while a total of 1013 children, 975 boys and 38 girls, were convicted.