Police attribute recent surge in juvenile delinquency to prolonged online exposure

The Judiciary Police (PJ) have noted a recent surge in juvenile delinquency, primarily characterized by assaults and thefts, alongside an increase in juvenile sexual offenses and child sexual abuse cases, with half of these incidents involving consensual sexual activity.

The authorities have observed that the internet hosts various inappropriate content, including pornography and violence, which can subtly influence adolescents through prolonged exposure.

According to the police, the rise in child sexual abuse cases reflects a trend toward younger ages of sexual debut, with many pornography offenses involving minors stemming from victims being lured into taking nude photos.

“This indicates a weak legal awareness among youth and an insufficient understanding of the criminal nature of sexual acts with minors under 16, as well as inadequate sexual values,” a PJ spokesperson stated while addressing the public broadcaster’s radio program on Wednesday.

He continued, “The internet is flooded with inappropriate content such as pornography and violence, and prolonged exposure can subtly influence young people.”

He added that the authorities conducted 151 crime prevention lectures in schools during the first three quarters of this year, with a total attendance of 24,000 students.

Additionally, 40 interactive lectures for primary and kindergarten students attracted around 4,000 participants, and crime prevention sessions were also organized for parents and school staff.

According to reports, some listeners inquired about how the government assists young people in verifying the authenticity of online information, such as job postings.

Another PJ spokesperson emphasized the bureau’s commitment to continuing anti-fraud education campaigns, especially aimed at youth. He noted that earlier this month, the PJ uncovered a case in which at least nine Macau residents were lured to Taiwan with high salaries to participate in phone scams, including one minor.

Furthermore, in the first half of this year, reports of fake customer service platform scams surfaced, involving six victims who were primary or secondary school students and who collectively lost over MOP480,000.