Large sections of the media habitually distort, misrepresent and exaggerate the facts on crime, argues this paper.

This report presents information on the young people under juvenile justice supervision, both in detention and under community-based supervision, and the characteristics of their supervision. In Australia, the state and territory governments are responsible for dealing with young people who are involved in crime. One major aspect of the juvenile justice system is the supervision...

This paper addresses common misperceptions about the perpetrators of sexual offences against children. Sexual offending against children is a highly emotive issue. It is nonetheless important that public policy initiatives to prevent and/or respond to child sexual abuse are based on the available evidence about child sex offenders. This paper addresses five common misperceptions about...

This snapshot describes the penalties imposed on adult offenders convicted of sexual assault (not including child sexual assault). The most common penalty imposed on an offender convicted of sexual assault was a prison sentence. Prison penalties were imposed on 86 per cent of offenders convicted of an offence of aggravated sexual assault, with an average...

This snapshot describe the penalties imposed on convicted robbery offenders. The most common penalty imposed on a convicted robbery offender was a prison sentence. Prison penalties were imposed on 79 per cent of offenders convicted of an aggravated robbery offence and 58 per cent of offenders convicted of a non-aggravated robbery offence. Those who were...