A 13-year-old boy has been charged by police twice in a month, in cities more than 600 kilometres apart.
The incidents have reignited calls for tougher youth bail laws, as the NSW state government works with police and communities to tackle the roots of the behaviour.
The teen has been accused of stealing a woman's backpack before attempting to rob a group of women at Central Station in Sydney's city-centre.
He allegedly punched a man who tried to intervene several times, NSW Police said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred a month after the boy was charged over a burglary and alleged stabbing at a motel at Moree in northern NSW, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The boy was refused bail at a Sydney children's court on Monday.
In response to the incidents, NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said there is no quick fix to youth crime.
He pointed to a suite of reforms introduced by the state government earlier this year, but acknowledged more work remained.
The reforms included raising the bail threshold for young people accused of repeat car theft and break and enter offences.
"These reforms are tough but they're working, with young people dealt with under these laws less likely to get bail," Mr Daley told AAP on Tuesday.
But the NSW opposition is calling on the government to take immediate action.
Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said young repeat offenders must stop being bailed.
"If no change is made, we will keep seeing really dire circumstances unfolding, and nobody wants to see that," he said.
"Without the consequence at some level, the behaviour never changes."
Legal bodies and advocacy groups such as Community Legal Centres NSW and the Aboriginal Legal Service have long opposed changes to bail laws for children, fearing more vulnerable youth will end up in jail with little reduction to crime in the long-term.
