Slight rise in number of children pushed into crime

Figures released on Tuesday show the number of juveniles pushed into crime increased by 1.8 percent last year.

The Turkish Statistical Agency (TurkStat) released statistics regarding the number of children brought to security units either as a victim or as a perpetrator of crime. The overall number of children involved in crimes or becoming victims increased 6.2 percent in 2014 compared to 2013 with more than half of them between the ages of 15 and 17.

Both as victims and perpetrators, boys made up the majority of juveniles brought to security units.

Figures show the majority of suspected juvenile perpetrators were involved in assault. This was followed by theft and the use, sale and purchase of drugs.

Some 56.4 percent of juveniles were handed to their family while others were sent to courts and 3.1 percent to social services while 39.1 percent of juveniles brought to security units and pushed into crime were drug users.