Renfrewshire children in their early teens are among hundreds of youngsters who have been caught breaking into homes over the past five years.
More than 1,200 instances of housebreaking have been referred to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) since 2018.
And while the majority were in their early-to-mid teens, two cases – both in Aberdeen – concerned eight-year-olds.
Data obtained by Scotland’s justice and social affairs magazine, 1919, through freedom of information showed the majority of the 1,289 cases involved those aged 13 to 16 while a handful of 17-year-olds were also referred to the SCRA.
Renfrewshire accounted for 36 of the cases – with 10 of those by 14-year-olds.
Meanwhile, East Renfrewshire accounted for 15 of the cases with the highest figure of five involving 15-year-olds.
Data also shows there were two 13-year-olds and two 17-year-olds reported within the local authority area. The statistics say there were five 13-year-olds; seven 15-year-olds and eight 16-year-olds reported to the SCRA.
Glasgow accounted for by far the most cases with 495 incidents during the period assessed. The data also showed two nine-year-olds – in Clackmannanshire and the Western Isles – were referred, along with three 10-year-olds.
When a child is referred, the SCRA then decides whether or not to refer them for a Children’s Hearing, and may decide no further action is required.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have seen dramatic positive changes in the youth justice sector since our decisive shift towards prevention and reducing reoffending.
“This includes reductions in referrals to the children’s reporter on offence grounds down from 9,765 in 2009-10 to 2,840 in 2019-20.
“We continue to work to deliver on our 2021 youth justice vision where young people and their families are supported at an early stage through early intervention and preventative approaches.
“This includes understanding the nature and extent of child criminal exploitation and how this issue can be addressed with partners.”
The Hope Collective, a UK-wide organisation working to prevent young people getting involved in crime, said the statistics exposed wider issues in society.
Former Police Scotland chief superintendent Niven Rennie, its executive chairperson, said: “Children as young as eight should be offered something a whole lot better than getting involved in crime.
“This is similar to what’s happening with drugs and ‘County Lines’, where criminals exploit young people because they are less likely to be stopped by police.
“We need to examine the causes of this because it isn’t normal behaviour. People are impoverished and willing to take any action they can to get some money.
“Babies aren’t born bad – it’s what happens to them afterwards. And too many of these young people have their life dictated to them before it has even begun.”
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