Children as young as 10 committing sex crimes in Queensland

Children as young as 10 are among hundreds being charged with sex crimes – including rape – every year in Queensland.

An estimated 450 sexual offences were committed by children between the ages of 10 and 16 last year, according to statistics obtained by The Sunday Mail.

More than 90 rapes were committed, with most offenders found to be overwhelmingly male – 450 compared to 52 females.

Griffith Youth Forensic Service deputy director and criminologist Danielle Harris said that most of these offences involve other young people, the Mail reports. Half of all sex abuse nationwide is committed by children.

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Dr Harris said sexual offences by children can be sparked by factors from existing psychological makeup to incidents of severe trauma.

“For one kid, that might be he was sexually abused since he was six months old... but it might also just be maltreatment or neglect,” she said.

Dr Harris said that the forensic service she represents has been able to rehabilitate most offenders through one-on-one counselling.

She nevertheless believes young children as young as six should be exposed to education programs teaching them what constitutes appropriate behaviour.

"(Children) need to have that language that allows you to describe to a trusted adult if someone – even one of your trusted people – has done something that made you feel uncomfortable,” she said.