Sexual offences continued to rank among the most common crimes committed by youth in Singapore in 2025, particularly among those aged 10 to under 16, according to the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) Supporting Youth Rehabilitation Trends Report 2026 released on September 29.
The total number of sexual offences involving individuals aged 10 to under 21 decreased slightly, from 461 cases in 2024 to 437 in 2025. However, for the younger cohort aged 10 to under 16, the number of reported sexual crimes increased from 193 to 199 over the same period. Sexual penetration of a minor was the most frequently recorded sexual offence among the younger group, with cases rising from 105 in 2024 to 114 in 2025. This offence is defined by law as involving victims below 16 years of age, irrespective of consent.
Other sexual offences documented in the report include outrage of modesty, intimate recording, rape, obscene acts, and voyeurism. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Ministry of Education (MOE) have implemented initiatives to engage schools in raising awareness about sexual offences and promoting prevention. These efforts include police-led talks during school assemblies to educate students on personal safety, appropriate boundaries, types of sexual crimes, and potential legal consequences.
The government is also prioritizing early intervention through education aimed at correcting attitudes and beliefs that contribute to sexual offending and encouraging healthy sexual development among youth. Resource guides have been distributed to professionals working in government and community sectors, aiming to enhance early detection and support for at-risk individuals. In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) collaborates with community practitioners to monitor emerging trends associated with youth sexual offending, including risks posed by online sexual harms.
A biannual Community of Professionals forum organized by MHA and MOE facilitates discussions on prevention and intervention strategies for youth sexual offending.
In parallel, cheating and related offences remained the leading category of youth crimes recorded in 2025, followed by theft and related offences. Arrests for theft rose modestly from 571 in 2024 to 588 in 2025. Shop theft, a subset of these crimes, saw a slight decline from 402 to 394 cases. Commonly stolen items included food and beverages, personal care products, and cosmetics. Other theft offences reported involved housebreaking and the theft of bicycles or motor vehicles.
To address shop theft among youth, authorities have introduced targeted prevention strategies such as educational comics designed to engage young people and discourage offending behaviors. Coordinated efforts between the SPF and MOE include issuing school advisories, conducting outreach programs, and implementing a crime prevention module for Primary 3 to 6 students to raise awareness of the legal repercussions of shop theft.
Tan Xing Wei, assistant senior social worker at Youth Guidance Outreach Services, highlighted early exposure to hyper-sexualized media and unmonitored online environments as key factors contributing to the persistence of youth sexual offending. He noted that such influences can blur young people’s understanding of appropriate peer interactions and complicate their ability to navigate real-world social situations, resulting in harm that affects both victims and perpetrators.
Regarding theft, Tan emphasized that these offenses often signal underlying challenges such as financial hardship, inadequate supervision after school, or negative peer influences. He identified relational disconnection and insufficient adult oversight as central issues driving both theft and sexual offending among youth. According to Tan, a lack of strong emotional bonds at home or quality parental guidance leads some young people to seek validation, identity, and excitement in unsupervised or online environments, increasing their vulnerability to offending behaviors.