Youth Engagement Statistics for Northern Ireland, April 2024 to March 2025
Date published:
Official statistics bulletin ‘Youth Engagement Statistics for Northern Ireland April 2024 to March 2025’ published today by Department of Justice (DoJ)
This bulletin presents data on cases relating to young people (aged 10 to 17 years) coming into formal contact with the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland for the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. It provides some detail on those referred for the Youth Engagement (YE) process, alongside information on the time taken for the YE process to complete and on subsequent outcomes.
Overall
- In 2024-25, there were 2,712 cases where young people came into formal contact with the criminal justice system. This is a decrease of 644 cases (19.2%) compared with 2023-24.
- The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) assessed 40.0% (1,084) of these cases as suitable for resolution through the Youth Engagement process and 55.9% (1,515) not suitable.
- Among the cases deemed not suitable for Youth Engagement, 44.5% (674) were assessed as appropriate for prosecution, and 54.5% (826) required no further action.
Age and Gender
- 73.1% (1,983) of young people coming into formal contact with the justice system in 2024–25 were male (Note: figures for males include a small number of individuals whose gender was unknown or who identified as transgender; separate listing is not possible due to disclosure risk.)
- Over two fifths of cases (40.7%, 1,103) in 2024-25 involved young people aged 16 or 17 at the time of offence. The remaining 59.3% (1,609) related to those aged between 10 to 15 at the time of offence.
Youth Engagement Process
- Youth Conference was the most common outcome (52.1%, 565) for those completing the Youth Engagement process (Note: Following a change in process in October 2024, a small number of cases which were suitable for the YE process but did not require a YE clinic, have been included in the statistics for 2024-25).
- Most cases (93.5%, 87) removed from the Youth Engagement process were returned to the PPS for a further decision on how it should be progressed.
- The median time for a case to be dealt with through the Youth Engagement process in 2024-25 was 77 days, up from 67 days in 2023-24.
- Whilst legal representation is offered to those involved in the Youth Engagement process; it was declined by more than half (66.8%, 435).
- Among those who participated in Youth Engagement clinics and answered the relevant survey question, 98.9% (181) said it ‘helped them understand the choices available to them’.
Notes to editors:
1.This bulletin presents data on cases relating to young people coming into formal contact with the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland during the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Detail is provided on those referred for the youth engagement process, alongside information on the time taken for that process to complete and on subsequent outcomes.
2.This is the seventh year this information has been available, and it is anticipated that it will continue to be published annually. It is hoped that an updated version of this bulletin, containing figures relating to 2025-26, will be available in November 2026.
3.The data used in this bulletin were, in the main, taken from the Causeway Data Sharing Mechanism (DSM1). They were extracted primarily based on records contained on the Criminal Records Viewer (CRV). The CRV is held on Causeway and utilises data which originated in the PSNI, PPS and from Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS). Causeway is an interconnected information system, launched as a joint undertaking by the Criminal Justice Organisations (CJOs) in Northern Ireland.
4.Data relating to youth engagement clinic dates and outcomes, sourced from the Youth Justice Agency (YJA) Case Management System, are matched with the information from Causeway, to complete the dataset and information in relation to legal representation at clinics, as well as in relation to victim involvement, is sourced from the PSNI.
5.The figures reported in this bulletin relate to cases where the date of charge (for charge cases), or date accused informed (for summons cases) falls within the year specified, where the case was prosecuted by the PPS on behalf of PSNI, Harbour Police, Airport Constabulary or the National Crime Agency (NCA). They relate to young people aged under 18 at time of offence.
6. Official Statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs and are produced free from any political interference. They are also subject to restrictions in terms of pre-release access. Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
7.The bulletin will be available in PDF format from the DoJ web-site or from Analytical Services Group, Financial Services Division, Block C, Castle Buildings, Stormont Estate, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3SG email: statistics.research@justice-ni.gov.uk.
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