Singapore’s youth offending rate remained low from 2019 to 2023: MSF report

SINGAPORE: The rate of youths who committed offences in Singapore has remained low in recent years, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Friday (Nov 8).
From 2019 to 2023, the youth offending rate stood at an average of 5.2 per 1,000 youths, the ministry said in its inaugural Supporting Youth Rehabilitation Trends Report.
The report provides an overview of the progress made in key youth rehabilitation trends in Singapore, against the backdrop of youth offending trends from 2019 to 2023, said MSF. 
Youth offenders refer to those aged 10 to below 21 years old.
The youth offending rate in 2023 was 4.9 per 1,000 youths, compared with a rate of 4.6 in 2022.
Singapore’s youth offending rate has “remained low” compared with other countries, said MSF.
“The report compares Singapore’s youth offending rate to that in Australia and New Zealand, as these countries were the closest comparison to Singapore,” the ministry said in a press release.
The top three offences by the number of youth offenders were shop theft, cheating and related offences, and sexual offences (penetration).
The number of offenders for all three crimes increased in 2023 from the year before:
Comparing 2019 and 2023, the offences with the largest increases in the number of offenders were:
Completion rates across rehabilitation programmes in Singapore remained high at around 90 per cent in 2023, MSF said.
“Among youths who have completed their rehabilitation programmes from 2019 to 2021, less than 10 per cent reoffended within two years, which was low compared to other countries,” the ministry added.
It said that youth offenders are in their “formative years and still need guidance to address their risks and needs”.
“Rehabilitation is therefore a key consideration in the youth justice system,” MSF added.
Currently, the Youth Court only hears cases involving young offenders under 16. 
“Those who are 16 years old and above who commit offences are tried as adults in the State Court or the Community Court, unless they are diverted away from the criminal justice system,” MSF noted.
Studies have shown that older youth offenders may still not have the “full cognitive maturity of adults to understand the seriousness of their offences”, the ministry said.
The Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) was amended to also cover youths aged 16 to below 18 so that these cases can be heard in Youth Court. This is the age group with the highest likelihood of offending, MSF noted in its report.
“This allows the older youth offenders to benefit from a wider range of rehabilitation options to address their needs and reduce reoffending,” the ministry said.
These amendments take effect on Jan 1, 2025.
The move will potentially expand rehabilitation to about 50 youth offenders in this age group by end-2025, to better provide “age-appropriate rehabilitation … catered to their specific risks and needs”.
“To prepare for the intake of these older youths, MSF has made infrastructural adjustments to accommodate older youths in the MSF Youth Homes, recruited and upskilled our staff, and collaborated with educational institutions to expand the academic and vocational offerings to the residents.”
But older youths who commit more serious crimes such as certain sexual offences, unlicensed moneylending and drug trafficking may face proceedings in a court of appropriate jurisdiction, such as the State Courts.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua said: “I am heartened that our youth offending rate has remained low. We want our youths to stay away from crime, build positive social support systems, and learn skills to reduce reoffending.
“Our youths’ families, community partners and volunteers play an important role in these rehabilitation efforts, dedicating time and effort to steer our youths in the right direction. We are grateful to all of them for their commitment in helping our youths start anew and work towards a brighter future.”
MSF said that it will continue to work with government agencies, youths’ families and community partners to ensure that the rehabilitative needs of youth offenders are met.
It also works through the National Committee on Preventing Offending and Reoffending to support youth offenders and their families, it noted.