The number of juveniles under 15 who were arrested in the first half of this year surged nearly 40 per cent compared with the previous six months, police said yesterday.
Social workers also noted a new trend of children as young as seven bullying younger schoolmates for as little as $10.
Senior Assistant Police Commissioner Lau Chun-sing said the overall number of crimes in the first half of this year rose to 39,155 - 5.4 per cent higher than the same period last year.
He said 3,477 young people aged seven to 15 were arrested in the first half of this year - 37 per cent more than in the previous six months and 20 per cent more than the same period last year.
'The increase in percentage is big, but the actual number is not big when compared with the population of young people in Hong Kong,' Mr Lau said. 'But the rise is an indicator to remind the police that it's an area that we have to pay attention to.'
He said the arrests were mostly for thefts, shoplifting and assault. There was also a rise in robberies involving bullying.