National statistics show that criminals are not getting younger 

Suspects and perpetrators of criminal behavior are not becoming increasingly younger, the Research and Data Centre (WODC) reported based on national statistics. Young people are also not increasingly involved in violent crime incidents. The percentage of young people who say that they have committed a crime is around ten times as high as what has been registered by the police.

Drug extractors - people who take drugs from containers in port areas - are often minors. Suspects accused of placing explosives are also usually young people. Still, according to the WODC, the image that the age of suspects and perpetrators is getting younger cannot be seen as a general development when looking at the statistics. "This, however, does not rule out the age is decreasing with certain types of crimes or specific regions."

The police register youth criminality in a small number of areas, especially in large cities. The police statistics show differences between population groups and regions, but in self-reports, these differences are smaller or completely absent.

In any case, the percentage of young people who themselves indicate that they have committed something criminal deviates from the police registrations. "Although this mainly concerns minor offenses that will usually not lead to prosecution, it provides insight into a part of the offenses that are not or only to a limited extent visible to the police or the judiciary," WODC said.

The WODC and Statistics Netherlands research developments in youth criminality periodically. Registered criminality amongst young people in the Netherlands has decreased in the last twenty years.