Repeat offenders are behind the majority of youth crime in Victoria while cost-of-living pressures have been linked to a jump in theft from retail stores.
Crime data for the 12 months to September 2023 released by Victoria Police revealed 82 youth offenders were arrested more than 10 times that year.
Officers are monitoring 46 youth gangs and 416 members were arrested a combined 1511 times over the September to September period.
"We know the majority of harm is being caused by a core group of 207 recidivist offenders," the force said in a statement released on Thursday.
There was a 33.1 per cent jump in the number of offences committed by children aged 10-13 when compared to 2021-22. But during that time Victoria was still experiencing lockdowns which had an impact on crime rates.
Despite that, it included the highest number of males aged 10-13 since 2011 and the highest number of females since 2015.
Overall, youth offending was 6.3 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.
Children were over represented in robberies, burglaries and theft offences which Victoria Police said was often because of a desire for status items such as cars and technology or notoriety among peers.
There was a 7.6 per cent jump in crime incidents during 2022-23 compared to the year before, but crime is trending back towards pre-pandemic levels and remains 3.4 per cent below September 2018-19 data.
Cost-of-living pressures and rising inflation were linked to a 27.9 per cent increase in theft from retail stores.
Victoria Police says as many as 40 per cent of offenders are first time offenders, with liquor, groceries and clothes the most commonly stolen items.
Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations Neil Paterson said the state recorded its second lowest crime rate at any point over the past decade but warned people to be vigilant about burglaries over the holiday break.
"Summer is traditionally peak season for home burglaries and as such, we're urging Victorians to take some simple steps to help stop opportunistic thieves," he said.
"Please be extra conscious of unlocked doors and windows.
"Offenders are telling us across the interview table that they will try multiple homes until they find one where they can simply walk through the door or climb through an open window."
