The number of young offenders being dealt with by police and the courts has jumped by more than a quarter in the last six years, it has been revealed.
In some areas of England and Wales, the number of under-18s being handled by the criminal justice system has nearly doubled in the same period.
Figures gathered under the Freedom of Information Act by think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) showed a 27% increase in the number of children and youths convicted or cautioned.
The number of under-15s increased by a third, added a report from the left-wing think-tank. There was also an 11% increase in the number of adults dealt with by the criminal justice system in the same period.
The left-wing organisation concluded that young criminals should be punished by a panel of victims and other community representatives rather than being sent to court for less severe offences.
The new system of "community justice panels" would allow victims to "confront non-severe young offenders", it said.
Criminal courts would then focus attention on severe crimes.
The new panels would focus on the offender "paying back" the victim and the community.
The IPPR's James Crabtree said: "Current targets ... have resulted in the police concentrating on easier-to-solve low-level crimes committed by children and teenagers, often with complex problems.
"This has not resulted in crime reduction but serves to criminalise young people, increases re-offending and misdirects important resources away from dealing with severe offences and crime prevention... We should not be soft or tolerant, but the current trend of criminalisation is not working."
