Youth offending rate rises in Singapore, driven by jump in cheating offences

The number of young people committing cheating and related offences rose by 37 per cent in 2025, with many involved in scams as mules.

File photo of the Family Justice Courts in Singapore. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

SINGAPORE: The youth offending rate rose in Singapore in 2025, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Tuesday (Sep 29), driven mainly by an increase in cheating and related offences.

According to MSF’s youth rehabilitation trends report, the youth offending rate was 5.6 per 1,000 youths in 2025, up from the 4.8 per 1,000 recorded in 2024, though still lower than the 2021 peak of 5.8.

The report defined youths as those aged 10 to below 21.

The increase in the offending rate was primarily driven by the number of youths who committed cheating and related offences, which jumped 37 per cent from 814 in 2024 to 1,114 in 2025, the highest since 2021.

Youths in this category were largely involved in scams as mules.

In such cases, youths were found to have relinquished their bank account and Singpass credentials, registered and handed over SIM cards or mobile phone lines, and facilitated transactions for scammers.

For middle and older youths, cheating and related offences remained the top offence category in 2025.

Among middle youths, or those aged 16 to below 18, the number involved in cheating and related offences rose from 229 in 2024 to 270 in 2025.

For older youths aged 18 to below 21, that number increased from 574 to 782 over the same time period.

But for younger youths aged 10 to below 16, theft and related offences as well as sexual offences were the two most common offence categories.

The number of younger youths who committed theft and related offences rose from 279 in 2024 to 326 in 2025, with shop theft being he most common theft-related offence from 2021 to 2025.

Meanwhile, the number of younger youths who committed sexual offences increased from 193 in 2024 to 199 in 2025. Among sexual offences, sexual penetration of a minor remained the most common, with the number of offenders rising from 105 in 2024 to 114 in 2025.

The report noted that the offence is made out when the victim is below 16, regardless of the victim's consent.

Overall, theft and related offences remained a common offence category from 2021 to 2025, increasing from 571 offenders in 2024 to 588 in 2025, although the number who committed shop theft fell slightly from 402 to 394.

Sexual offences fell from 461 offenders in 2024 to 437 in 2025, although sexual penetration offences increased from 225 to 253.

The number of youths involved in public order and related offences fell from 314 offenders in 2024 to 238 in 2025, while drug consumption offences remained relatively stable at 206 offenders in 2025, compared with 199 in 2024. Older youths formed the majority of drug offenders amongst the age groups examined.

Two-year recidivism rates for cases under MSF’s purview rose from 9.1 per cent for the 2022 cohort to 10.3 per cent for the 2023 cohort, though rehabilitation completion rates remained consistently high at 85 per cent to 92.9 per cent between 2021 and 2025.

The report noted that from 2025 onwards, the youth offending rate will be measured differently.

In the current report, rates from 2021 to 2025 were calculated based on the number of youths arrested within the year. However, from 2025 onwards, the offending rates will be calculated based on the number of youths investigated within the year.

“This new indicator better reflects the youth offending situation, as it more comprehensively accounts for youths investigated for offences, including those not physically arrested,” said MSF.

The number of youths investigated in 2025 was 4,160.

MSF said on Tuesday the government response to tackle youth offending and reoffending would focus on three strategies – upstream interventions to support at-risk youths and their families earlier, preventive education, and proportionate rehabilitation and deterrence according to each youth’s risks and needs.

Upstream measures include engaging youth offenders to identify siblings who may face similar risks and connect them with mentors and positive peers before offending occurs.

Preventive education will focus on raising awareness in areas including sexual offences, shop theft, scams and drugs.

Rehabilitation efforts include psychology-based programmes, casework and counselling, education, vocational and skills training, as well as family-focused interventions.

“Structured aftercare and community-based arrangements are also available where appropriate, to support youth’s transition back into society while minimising disruption to their education, employment and family relationships,” MSF said.

“These efforts seek to address offending behaviour, strengthen protective factors and support needed for successful reintegration and reduced reoffending.”

Similarly, the National Committee on Preventing Offending and Reoffending (NCPR) - jointly chaired by MSF and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) - will focus on strengthening preventive education, improving early identification and coordinated support for youth and families at higher risk, and sharpening rehabilitation and aftercare to reduce reoffending.

“The government remains committed to working closely with partners to reduce youth offending, sustain high programme completion rates, and keep recidivism low,” read MSF’s report.

“It will continue to monitor and respond proactively to emerging trends, including youth involvement in scam-related offences, to ensure that rehabilitation efforts remain effective and responsive to evolving risks."

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

2025年，青少年作弊及相关犯罪人数增加了37%，其中许多人充当诈骗工具。

新加坡家庭法庭资料照片。（图片：CNA/Jeremy Long）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：新加坡社会及家庭发展部（MSF）周二（9月29日）表示，受欺诈及相关犯罪增加的影响，新加坡青少年犯罪率在2025年将上升。

根据无国界医生组织的青少年改造趋势报告，2025 年青少年犯罪率为每 1000 名青少年 5.6 人，高于 2024 年记录的每 1000 名青少年 4.8 人，但仍低于 2021 年的峰值 5.8 人。

该报告将青少年定义为 10 岁至 21 岁以下的人。

犯罪率上升的主要原因是青少年作弊及相关犯罪人数的增加，从 2024 年的 814 人跃升至 2025 年的 1114 人，增幅达 37%，为 2021 年以来的最高水平。

这类青少年大多从事诈骗活动，充当洗钱工具。

在这些案例中，人们发现一些年轻人放弃了自己的银行账户和 Singpass 凭证，注册并交出了 SIM 卡或手机号码，并为诈骗分子提供了交易便利。

对于中青年和老年青年来说，作弊及相关犯罪在 2025 年仍然是最主要的犯罪类别。

在 16 岁至 18 岁以下的青少年中，参与作弊及相关犯罪的人数从 2024 年的 229 人增加到 2025 年的 270 人。

在同一时期，18 岁至 21 岁以下的青少年人数从 574 人增加到 782 人。

但对于 10 岁至 16 岁以下的青少年来说，盗窃及相关犯罪以及性犯罪是两种最常见的犯罪类别。

2024 年至 2025 年，青少年盗窃及相关犯罪人数从 279 人增加到 326 人，其中，2021 年至 2025 年，商店盗窃是最常见的盗窃相关犯罪。

与此同时，2024 年 193 名青少年犯下性犯罪，2025 年增至 199 名。在性犯罪中，性侵未成年人仍然是最常见的犯罪类型，犯罪者人数从 2024 年 105 人增至 2025 年 114 人。

报告指出，无论受害者是否同意，只要受害者未满 16 岁，就构成犯罪。

总体而言，从 2021 年到 2025 年，盗窃及相关犯罪仍然是常见的犯罪类别，犯罪人数从 2024 年的 571 人增加到 2025 年的 588 人，尽管商店盗窃的人数略有下降，从 402 人减少到 394 人。

性犯罪案件数量从 2024 年的 461 起下降到 2025 年的 437 起，但性侵犯案件数量从 225 起增加到 253 起。

2024 年至 2025 年，青少年扰乱公共秩序及相关犯罪人数从 314 人下降至 238 人，而吸毒犯罪人数则相对稳定，2025 年为 206 人，2024 年为 199 人。在所调查的年龄组中，年龄较大的青少年占吸毒犯罪者的大多数。

在无国界医生组织管辖范围内的案例中，两年再犯率从 2022 年的 9.1% 上升到 2023 年的 10.3%，尽管 2021 年至 2025 年间康复完成率一直保持在 85% 至 92.9% 的高位。

报告指出，从 2025 年起，青少年犯罪率的衡量标准将有所不同。

本报告中，2021年至2025年的犯罪率是根据当年被捕的青少年人数计算的。但是，从2025年起，犯罪率将根据当年接受调查的青少年人数计算。

无国界医生组织表示：“这一新指标更好地反映了青少年犯罪情况，因为它更全面地统计了因犯罪接受调查的青少年，包括那些未被实际逮捕的青少年。”

2025 年接受调查的青少年人数为 4,160 人。

无国界医生组织周二表示，政府应对青少年犯罪和再犯罪的措施将侧重于三项策略——早期干预以支持高危青少年及其家庭、预防性教育，以及根据每个青少年的风险和需求采取适当的康复和威慑措施。

上游措施包括让青少年罪犯参与进来，找出可能面临类似风险的兄弟姐妹，并在犯罪发生之前将他们与导师和积极的同伴联系起来。

预防性教育将重点提高公众对性犯罪、商店盗窃、诈骗和毒品等领域的认识。

康复工作包括以心理学为基础的方案、个案工作和咨询、教育、职业和技能培训，以及以家庭为中心的干预措施。

无国界医生组织表示：“在适当情况下，还会提供结构化的后续照护和社区安排，以支持青少年重返社会，同时最大限度地减少对他们的教育、就业和家庭关系的干扰。”

“这些努力旨在解决犯罪行为，加强保护因素和支持，以帮助罪犯成功重返社会并减少再犯罪。”

同样，由无国界医生组织和内政部共同主持的国家预防犯罪和再犯罪委员会（NCPR）将重点加强预防教育，改善对高危青少年和家庭的早期识别和协调支持，并加强康复和后续护理，以减少再犯罪。

无国界医生组织的报告指出：“政府将继续与合作伙伴密切合作，以减少青少年犯罪，保持较高的项目完成率，并保持较低的再犯率。”

“我们将继续监测并积极应对新出现的趋势，包括青少年参与诈骗相关犯罪的情况，以确保康复工作保持有效并能应对不断变化的风险。”

订阅我们的邮件，即可获取精选热点新闻和引人深思的文章。

订阅通知，第一时间获取突发新闻和精彩报道。

加入我们的频道，即可在您常用的聊天应用上获取当日热门文章。