STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- The number of Swedish teen girls involved in violence has more than doubled in the last decade and girls are increasingly turning to crime, the government said.
Numbers released by Sweden's National Council for Crime Prevention show one-third of assault victims ages 15-17 in 2010 were reported to be female, up from one-fourth in 2008, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported Thursday.
The number of girls ages 15-20 accused of assault increased 118.5 percent, from 428 in 2000 to 935 in 2010.
"That susceptibility to violence is increasing faster among young girls than among other groups is likely related to the fact that we've long seen that more and more young girls are also suspected of being the perpetrators of violence," Sven Granath, a criminologist with the council told Dagens Nyheter.
Mathias Henriksson of the Stockholm police said young girls are increasingly becoming involved in crime.
"We see that when it comes to the sort of crimes previously committed primarily by guys, like assault and robbery, it's becoming more common for girls to be found guilty," he said.
