4519.0 - Recorded Crime - Offenders, 2011-12 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 28/02/2013   
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OFFENDERS

All data presented in this chapter are based on tables in Data Cube 1 States and Territories.

The number of unique offenders decreased between 2010-11 and 2011-12 in Western Australia (12%), South Australia (4%) and the Australian Capital Territory (2%), while numbers in the other jurisdictions increased: the Northern Territory (7%), Victoria (6%), Queensland (3%) and Tasmania (less than 1%).

Western Australia recorded the largest decrease in the offender rate between 2010-11 and 2011-12 (255 fewer offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over, or a 15% decrease), while the Northern Territory experienced the greatest increase since 2010-11 (258 more offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over, or a 6% increase).

Graph Image for OFFENDER RATE(a), Selected states and territories(b) - 2008-09 to 2011-12

Footnote(s): (a) Rate per 100,000 population aged 10 years and over (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 26–29). (b) New South Wales data are presented separately (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 45–47). (c) South Australian data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 57–58). (d) Australian Capital Territory data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 70–71). (e) Data for 2009–10 and 2010–11 for the Australian Capital Territory have been revised.

Source(s): Recorded Crime — Offenders, 2011-12 (cat. no. 4519.0)


Sex

Male offenders accounted for a larger proportion of the total offender population across all selected states and territories, ranging from 80% in Victoria to 73% in the Northern Territory. The largest movement amongst the male offender population occurred in the Northern Territory where the proportion of male offenders decreased from 76% in 2010-11 to 73% in 2011-12.

South Australia and Western Australia reported decreases in both the number of male and female offenders from 2010-11 to 2011-12. Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory reported increases in both the number of male and female offenders. Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory reported decreases in the number of males but increases in the number of females. Western Australia reported the largest decreases in the number of male offenders (12%) and female offenders (14%) since 2010-11. (Based on Table 2.4)

The offender rates amongst males were much higher than those for females across all selected states and territories. The Northern Territory had the highest male offender rate at 6,671 male offenders per 100,000 males aged 10 years and over, and also had the highest female offender rate at 2,749 offenders per 100,000 females aged 10 years and over.


Graph Image for OFFENDER RATE(a), Sex by selected states and territories(b)

Footnote(s): (a) Rate per 100,000 population aged 10 years and over (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 26–29). (b) New South Wales data are presented separately (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 45–47). (c) South Australian data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 57–58). (d) Australian Capital Territory data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 70–71).

Source(s): Recorded Crime - Offenders, 2011-12 (cat. no. 4519.0)


Repeat offenders

Data on the number of proceedings that police initiated against offenders during the reference period are not available for Western Australia (refer to paragraph 59 of the Explanatory Notes).

The majority of offenders were proceeded against by police only once during 2011-12 for all selected states and territories. The highest proportion of the offender population who were proceeded against by police on two or more separate occasions during 2011-12 was in the Northern Territory (33%) and Queensland (32%), while the jurisdiction with the lowest proportion of repeat offenders was Victoria (17%). Tasmania had the highest proportion of offenders who were proceeded against five times or more during the reference period (7%).


Graph Image for OFFENDERS, Number of times proceeded against by police - selected states and territories(a)(b)

Footnote(s): (a) Excludes Western Australia (see Explanatory Notes paragraph 59). (b) New South Wales data are presented separately (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 45–47). (c) South Australian data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 57–58). (d) Australian Capital Territory data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 70–71).

Source(s): Recorded Crime - Offenders, 2011-12 (cat. no. 4519.0)


Principal offence

The most prevalent principal offence for which offenders were proceeded against in 2011-12, as measured by offender rates per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over, was:
  • Public order offences in the Northern Territory (1,699), Tasmania (1,077), Queensland (476) and the Australian Capital Territory (269);
  • Illicit drugs in South Australia (950);
  • Theft in Victoria (386); and
  • Acts intended to cause injury in Western Australia (319).


Graph Image for OFFENDER RATE(a), Selected principal offence by selected states and territories(b)

Footnote(s): (a) Rate per 100,000 population aged 10 years and over (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 26–29). (b) New South Wales data are presented separately (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 45–47). (c) Queensland data may be overstated for some Divisions (see Explanatory Notes paragraph 56). (d) South Australian data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 57–58). (e) Northern Territory data may be overstated for some Divisions (see Explanatory Notes paragraph 68). (f) Australian Capital Territory data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 70–71).

Source(s): Recorded Crime - Offenders, 2011-12 (cat. no. 4519.0)


Subdivision

The most prevalent principal offence at the published subdivision level amongst offenders in 2011-12, as measured by offender rates per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over, was Assault in each of the selected states and territories except Victoria. The rates for this subdivision were: Northern Territory (1,229), Tasmania (456), South Australia (421), Western Australia (314), Queensland (243) and the Australian Capital Territory (196). In Victoria the most prevalent subdivision was Theft (except motor vehicles) (350).

Northern Territory had the highest offender rates per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over for Assault (1,229), Deal or traffic in illicit drugs (179) and Sexual assault (59). Western Australia had the highest offender rates per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over for Harassment and threatening behaviour (92) and Victoria had the highest offender rates per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over for Theft (except motor vehicles) (350).


Age

The median age of offenders varied across the selected states and territories, from 30 years in the Northern Territory to 23 years in the Australian Capital Territory.

In 2011-12, offending rates were highest in the 15-19 year age group across all selected states and territories except the Northern Territory, ranging from 9,033 offenders per 100,000 people aged 15-19 years in Tasmania to 3,460 in Western Australia. For the Northern Territory, the highest offending rate occurred for the 20-24 year age group, with a rate of 8,268 offenders per 100,000 people aged 20-24 years. Offenders aged 65 years and over had the lowest offender rate of all the age groups, ranging from 544 offenders per 100,000 people aged 65 years and over in the Northern Territory to 38 in the Australian Capital Territory.

OFFENDER RATE(a), Age by selected states and territories(b)

Age group (years)
Vic.
Qld
SA(c)
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT(d)

10-14
991.3
1 566.6
1 298.3
1 093.4
1 605.7
1 938.6
866.0
15-19
5 185.8
5 969.7
5 758.1
3 459.6
9 032.8
7 557.4
3 875.6
20-24
4 004.1
5 299.7
5 341.7
3 091.8
8 341.6
8 267.7
2 161.2
25-29
2 756.9
3 576.1
4 871.3
2 314.9
6 101.0
6 859.4
1 128.7
30-34
2 388.7
2 831.1
4 513.7
2 132.2
4 628.1
6 449.8
1 055.0
35-39
1 994.5
2 263.2
4 027.9
1 784.0
3 391.0
6 159.2
840.9
40-44
1 602.0
1 737.0
3 298.5
1 385.8
2 600.6
5 277.7
761.9
45-49
1 130.8
1 191.2
2 247.6
918.4
1 885.0
4 571.8
481.5
50-54
724.6
770.2
1 306.5
569.5
1 267.4
2 512.1
315.1
55-59
487.5
464.3
783.1
373.1
754.6
1 839.8
168.1
60-64
319.1
276.7
411.8
213.1
518.5
1 020.3
80.2
65 years and over
136.0
119.3
148.4
89.5
209.8
544.0
37.6
Total
1 746.3
2 088.6
2 572.4
1 426.6
2 931.8
4 819.8
1 000.5

(a) Rate per 100,000 population aged 10 years and over (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 26-29).
(b) New South Wales data are presented separately (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 45-47).
(c) Data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 57-58).
(d) Data may be overstated (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 70-71).








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