‘Adolescence’, India edition: Country sees sharp rise in violent crimes among juvenile offenders
The Hindu
Critically acclaimed British mini-series Adolescence sparked conversations on rising violent crimes among juveniles. Data shows that violent crimes by juveniles are rising across the world, including in India.
Adolescence, a British mini-series released a few months ago, tells the chilling story of a 13-year-old boy, Jamie, who murders his classmate, Katie. It was critically acclaimed for its single-take format, powerful performances, seamless direction, and excellent storytelling.
More importantly, the series sparked conversations not just in the U.K. but worldwide about issues such as cyberbullying, involuntary celibate (incel) subculture, casual online misogyny, the behavioural shifts in adolescence, and the increasingly complex world that boys find themselves navigating today.
The series sought to examine why a young boy committed a violent crime. This is an important attempt as data shows that violent crimes by juveniles are rising across the world, including in India. Violent crimes include sexual offences such as rape, acts of physical violence such as murder, bodily injury or attempted murder, and other offences such as arson, dacoity, and robbery.
Offences such as rash driving, causing death by negligence, forgery, cheating, trespassing, fraud, pickpocketing, thefts, and obscene acts in public places have been excluded from this analysis as they are all considered mostly non-violent in nature.
The chart shows the share of youth apprehended for violent crimes out of all the youth apprehended for criminal offences in select countries between 2016 and 2020.
Even in the brief period considered, the share of youth apprehended for violent crimes rose considerably. For instance, in the U.K., the share increased from 50% to 57% among juveniles.
The pattern is the same in India too. Last month, a 13-year-old boy in Hubli, Karnataka, was taken into custody for stabbing his 15-year-old friend following an argument over chips. In another incident last month, police in Chennai arrested 12 people — seven of them minors — for the alleged rape and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.
Rural employment provided through Sarvodaya Sanghs in Tamil Nadu may be affected due to delay in release of subsidy arrears
Law and order: Pro-active policing helped reduce grave offences in rural areas of Madurai in 2025
The three-day Kala Parba art fair at Kadri Park showcases budding artists and honors late mentor Syed Asif Ali.
Nellore's Gangapatnam creek faces severe siltation, threatening fishers' livelihoods and prompting calls for urgent dredging to restore marine life.
Rigid bus schedules in Erode hinder students' education, forcing long commutes and risking safety and academic focus.
Healthium Medtech expands its Sri City facility, increasing production capacity and enhancing access to advanced medical products in India.
Shiv Sena and NCP unite in Ambarnath to block BJP's power in the municipal council after recent political shifts
Bengaluru airport introduces new valet parking and multi-level parking to enhance passenger convenience and streamline traffic management.
Andhra Pradesh's ₹200-crore program aims to enhance MSMEs, benefiting 1,840 units and generating over 7,500 jobs.
Bhumi Pednekkar and PETA India donate a mechanical elephant to Thrissur temple, promoting cruelty-free rituals and animal compassion.
C.V. Anand reviews facilities at Cherlapalli Central Prison
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre announces the upcoming establishment of an elephant task force in Dakshina Kannada to manage wildlife conflicts.
Pattunoolpuzhu is almost auto-fiction, the writer says, with inspiration sought from Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s Pather Panchali, a book that he read the most in his childhood