Stricter law awaits juvenile offenders

Minors involved in serious offenses will face strict punishment in future in line with a revised law that was passed by Chinese legislators at a meeting on Friday.

According to the amended Law on Penalties for Administration of Public Security, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan 1, 2026, minors — aged 14 to 16 — who disrupt social order or damage public security two or more times in a year will be subject to administrative detention.

The same penalty could be applicable to minors aged 14 to 18 even on a first offense if such offenses are committed under "serious circumstances" with "significant negative effect", according to the updated revised law adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, at the closing meeting of its latest session.

The NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission explained that rising concerns over some juveniles exploiting their age to repeatedly violate regulations or commit severe offenses had necessitated this modification in respect to minors.

Under the current version, minors aged 14 to 16 — as well as those aged 16 to 18 who commit an offense for the first time — are exempt from administrative detention.

The commission revealed that there has been a noticeable increase in juvenile delinquency in recent years, prompting the central leadership to attach great importance to the issue.

"When addressing juvenile delinquency, one should avoid blindly resorting to incarceration as a punishment, and neither should there be excessive tolerance nor leniency toward their errors," it said.

"Therefore, we revised the law not only to adhere to central directives, but also to enhance child-related provisions, emphasizing the integration of education with suitable penalties," it added.

It pointed out that the amended law also focuses on school bullying, with added content specifying that public security authorities should impose administrative penalties or take corrective education measures in cases involving assault, insult and intimidation.

Schools failing to report or handle serious bullying incidents will be ordered to make corrections, and responsible staff may be held accountable, the revised law noted.

It also requires police to notify a minor's adult relatives or school representatives to attend interrogations if the child's guardians cannot be present, the commission said, adding that the change is to better protect minors by streamlining the process of handling relevant cases.

Additionally, to provide minors with a healthier environment for development, the amended law stipulates that those who organize or coerce minors into paid companionship activities — such as drinking or singing in bars and karaoke venues — will be penalized.

Furthermore, the latest version of the law also clarifies that administrative violation records should be sealed and not provided or disclosed to any individual or department, except when required by relevant State authorities for case handling.

"The inclusion of this content in the amended law is crucial because illegal records often have a negative effect on the normal lives of the individuals being penalized and even their relatives," the commission said, adding that such impacts are not conducive to long-term social stability.

The provision is also to implement a resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, which proposed to establish a system for sealing minor criminal records for adults, the commission explained.