The Ministry of Public Security in China has identified internet use as a major factor in the increasing number of crimes that children in China commit.
From the Middle East Times:
BEIJING — The number of children arrested in China has increased by a third in the past three years, state media said Thursday, with officials blaming a rise in gang culture and the influence of the Internet.
Authorities arrested 92,574 underage criminals in 2006, a rise of 33 percent since 2003, according to an unnamed official in the country’s top prosecution office.
“There is a visible increase in gang crime among juvenile delinquents and crimes have become more violent,” the official was quoted as saying. “This is a major issue which endangers social stability.” [Full Text]
See also the China Daily report on child crime.
