A crime explosion among young girls - among whom alleged offences have soared by 14 per cent in 12 months - has prompted police calls for an inquiry. Girls younger than 18 were the alleged perpetrators of 6489 offences - including rapes, robberies and violent attacks - in Victoria last financial year.
The number of females alleged to have committed arsons, home break-ins and car thefts has soared. But the number of juvenile males involved in such crimes has dropped.
An army of teen and pre-teen girls allegedly committed 895 assaults.
Young girls were allegedly behind 450 burglaries, 2380 shoplifting offences and 558 attacks on property.
Youth workers, teachers and police have been shocked by the rise of the lawless "ladettes". The trend has prompted police calls for an inquiry into youth crime.
Outreach experts say girls are increasingly dressing in male streetwear, brawling, swearing and boasting about their sexual exploits.
The Police Association has joined calls by former deputy commissioner Bob Falconer for an inquiry into youth offending.
Open Family's Jim Markovski said: "They big-note themselves and to fit in with their friends they go out on these gang-mentality rampages to gang bash individuals."
There was a growing trend for girls to join mixed gender school-based gangs, he said.
"Before you know it, the girls can be worse than the guys," he said.
"They don't arm themselves as much as the guys. Most would be fights with fists or whatever they can get their hands on, whether it's a plank of wood or something."
Assistant Commissioner Bob Hastings admitted authorities were worried.
"The trend's there, yes. It's disappointing and is of concern to us in terms of a policing perspective," he said.
Victoria Police data obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun reveals under-18 girls were allegedly behind 558 incidents of property damage, 299 car thefts and 69 robberies.
The figures show:
A SPREE of burglaries, including 191 residential burglaries, 217 other burglaries and 42 aggravated burglaries.
139 drug offences and 69 weapons and explosives offences.
21 SEX assaults, two rapes, and eight abductions.
895 assaults, 450 burglaries, 2380 shoplifting offences and 558 property attacks.
THERE were 3617 girls aged from under 10 to 17 arrested, summonsed, cautioned or subject to a warrant in relation to the 6489 offences last financial year.
FEMALES accounted for 27 per cent of all under-18 distinct alleged offenders.
THERE was a 14 per cent jump in alleged offences by juvenile females on the year before and a 32 per cent increase on reports from two years earlier.
Education experts say young women with a criminal bent are increasingly common.
The Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals said fights and aggression among girls were more prevalent.
"Certainly we're seeing more of the behaviours that only boys used to exhibit," president Brian Burgess said.
Stacey, 17, said she and her girlfriends often stole up to $500 worth of goods from Highpoint.
"It's wrong, really wrong, but I do it because I don't get caught," she said.
