Social workers will be deployed to dozens of schools in a bid to curb youth crime across a state where young offenders are driving record arrest rates.
At least 23 Victorian schools will receive early intervention officers who will work and identify vulnerable students who are at risk of offending under a $5.6 million commitment from the state's government.
It comes as two young boys were charged over separate stabbings, one of which was allegedly a random attack on a woman in a shopping centre.
Police allege the 16-year-old boy stabbed the woman walking to work inside the M-City Shopping Centre in Melbourne's southeast about 7.50am on Thursday.
The boy was out on bail and has since been charged with theft, intentionally and recklessly cause injury, and possessing and assault with a weapon.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear at a children’s court at a later date.
Separately, police on Friday charged a 15-year-old teenager from the Hume area in Melbourne's north over a stabbing in February.
He has since been charged with intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, conduct endangering life, common law assault, and possessing, use and assault with a weapon.
The boy has been remanded to appear before a children's court at a later date.
The charges come as incidents of youth offending in Victoria increased by 2.3 per cent in 2025, according to crime statistics data.
Victoria's Deputy Premier Ben Carroll told reporters on Friday that youth crime programs were an important way to address the issue in the state.
Social workers in schools would help foster positive peer relationships and improve outcomes for at-risk children, he said.
"The message is there will be empathy. We want to work with you, we want to help you and support you. But equally there will be accountability," he said.
"You've got two pathways here, a life of purpose and a life of crime.
"We prefer you to be the lawyer in the courtroom, not the defendant."
Children committed 57.6 per cent of carjackings, 52.6 per cent of home invasions, 47.8 per cent of aggravated burglaries and 62.4 per cent of robberies.
Police arrested 1223 children a combined 6997 times, with an average of four youth gang members arrested everyday in 2025.
A record number of machetes and knives were also seized across that period.
Despite the increase in overall youth crime, Police Minister Anthony Carbines said there are signs targeted reforms are working.
Bail refusals and revocations increased at the Magistrates Court and Children’s Court in 2025, which he said was evidence the laws are having an effect.
While overall crime is still trending upwards, police say growth is beginning to stabilise following years of sharp increases.
But a major reduction is unlikely in the near future, deputy commissioner regional operations Bob Hill said on Thursday.
