Criminal Conduct

Criminal conduct is any behaviour that can lead to the committing of a criminal offence. Such behaviour - be it verbal or physical - can manifest itself as a criminal offence which can result in the causing of damage to property or another individual.

What Constitutes Criminal Conduct?

As we have already mentioned any behaviour that results in a crime being committed is considered to be criminal conduct. In the case of children and minors this behaviour may be more likely to take on aspects of anti-social behaviour or damage to property but nonetheless these are criminal offences.

As children most of us were brought up to believe in justice, the law and also the difference between right and wrong. However in today's society the lines seem to have blurred and as a result there has been a considerable upturn in the sort of behaviour that constitutes criminal conduct. This behaviour includes - but is not limited to:

• Bullying
• Vandalism
• Joy Riding
• Racial Abuse
• Sexual Impropriety
• Theft
• Causing an Affray
• Under age Drinking
• Graffiti
• Mugging
• Burglary

Again this list is not an exhaustive one as there are many other crimes and actions against person or property that can be considered to be criminal. However we are interested in the criminal conduct of children and minors and therefore the aforementioned list covers quite a range of offences that children or minors are likely to find themselves capable of committing.

Is My Child a Criminal? If you child or children have been involved in any of the aforementioned acts of anti-social behaviour then they may well be considered by the police to have committed a criminal act and as such be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However there are limitations to this and the main one is the child's age.

If a child is under the age of 11 then they are considered to be too young to be prosecuted and also may be considered too young to be fully responsible for their actions. For this reason Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs), Parenting Contracts, Parenting Orders and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) were introduced.

What Happens if My Child Commits a Crime?

If your child has committed a crime and has been detained by police then it is likely that - if they are over the age of 11 - they will be prosecuted by the police in the same manner as an adult. This is because the law considers anyone over the age of 11 to know the difference between right and wrong and therefore know that if they are committing a crime they are breaking the law.

If your child has been caught committing a criminal offence or has been detained as a result of a suspicion the police have that they were about to then you will be called to your local police station where the nature of the offences will be discussed with you.

Criminal Offences and Behaviour Orders

In some instances depending on the nature of the offence, the police working in conjunction with the Youth Offending Team and the local authority may decide that prosecuting the offence through the courts is not a worthwhile option. However if the police have had call to detain your child previously and a behaviour order is already in place then they may strongly consider going for a criminal conviction which will involve a hearing before a magistrate, a criminal record and potential a custodial sentence.

However if it is a first time offence and there are sufficient grounds to believe no further offences will be committed then the child in question may be asked to voluntarily enter into an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC). This informal agreement - which is also signed by the parent - is a commitment to cease any anti-social behaviour and bide by the conditions of the agreement. Likewise a parent may also be asked to enter into such an agreement especially if there is doubt as to how the parents govern their children's activity.