THE MESSAGE:

The following consists of research and information gathered from Statistics Canada

Trends in Canadian youth crime rates to 2006

In 1991, there were 9,126 per 100,000 youths. Subsequently the youth crime rate, decreased throughout the 1990s. It increased from 1999 to 2003 then decreased until 2006. The year 2006 saw a 3% increase in youth crime. This rise however, was 6% below the rate of a decade earlier and 25% below the 1991 peak. In 2006, almost 180,000 youth were implicated in a violation of the Criminal Code bringing the youth crime rate to 6,885 per 100,000 youth.

Across Canada the rate of youth crime varied considerably, with provincial crime rates ranging from a low of 3,765 per 100,000 youth in Quebec to a high of 19,939 in Saskatchewan. All provinces except Quebec reported an annual increase in their youth crime rate in 2006.

Violent crimes make up a larger share of youth crime

In the 10 years between 1997 and 2006, the overall violent crime rate in Canada declined 4%. However, the violent crime rate among youth has risen 12% in the same period and has climbed 30% since 1991. By 2006, youth accused of violent offences accounted for nearly a quarter of youth crime; up from one in five 10 years earlier. Much of this increase in the rate of youth violent crime has been driven by an increase in youth involvement in assault. Youth accused of assault represented nearly 80% of those apprehended for a violent crime in 2006, with those accused of common assault constituting about 60% of all youth involved in violent offences.

YOUTH CRIMES AT SCHOOL

Continued concerns over bullying and violence in schools makes youth crime committed on school grounds a topic of ongoing interest. About one-tenth (13%) of Criminal Code and drug violations by youth occurred on school property in 2006. About three-quarters (73%) of youth criminal incidents taking place on school grounds that came to the attention of the police occurred during the hours of supervised school activities—about a quarter of police reported youth crime occurred after school.

However, with the absence of students, teachers and other school staff outside regular school hours, crimes occurring at these times would be more likely to go undetected and unreported than those taking place during school hours. In addition, ‘zero tolerance’ policies may increase the likelihood that violent offences that have taken place during school hours will be reported to police.

Assaults, particularly common assault, represented about 30% of all violations committed by youth on school property and uttering threats constituted another 8%.

Increase in cocaine and other drugs

In 2006, close to 18,000 youth, or 693 youth per 100,000 population, were accused of drug-related offences . Drug-related crimes among youth have climbed dramatically over the last 10 years, with a rate of drug offences among youth in 2006 that was nearly double (+97%) that of 10 years earlier.

While the vast majority of drug-related offences involved cannabis (84%), the proportion of youth accused of cocaine and other drug offences has grown, more than doubling.

Nearly 20% of crimes committed at school were drug offences, whereas 5% of youth crimes committed elsewhere were drug-related. Youth drug offences taking place on school grounds usually involved the possession (78%) or trafficking of cannabis (10%).

Youth Crime Involving Weapons at School

Weapons were not present in most crimes occurring on school property, either during or after supervised hours. About 7% of all youth crimes committed on school grounds involved weapons and less than 1% of all school crimes in Canada involved firearms. Moreover, police-reported data from 1998 to 2006 indicate that these figures are consistent with previous years. When a weapon was present, it was most often a knife or blunt object. Among those school incidents where a weapon was known to be present, 36% involved a knife or some other cutting instrument, 14% a club or other blunt instrument and 9% a gun. In the remaining incidents, some other type of weapon was used.

Youth Criminal Justice Act April 1, 2003

In an effort to improve on the existing Young Offenders Act, the Canadian Parliament enacted The Youth Criminal Justice Act. This Act applies to youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who have come into conflict with the law. It contains both a Preamble and a Declaration of Principle that applies throughout the Act. The Preamble contains significant statements from Parliament about the values upon which the legislation is based. These statements can be used to help interpret the legislation and include the following:

• Society has a responsibility to address the developmental challenges and needs of young persons.

• Communities and families should work in partnership with others to prevent youth crime by addressing its underlying causes, responding to the needs of young persons and providing guidance and support.

• Accurate information about youth crime, the youth justice system and effective measures should be publicly available.

• Young persons have special guarantees of their rights and freedoms, including those set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

• The youth justice system should take into account the interests of victims and ensure accountability through meaningful consequences, rehabilitation and reintegration.

• The youth justice system should reserve its most serious interventions for the most serious crimes and reduce the over-reliance on incarceration.

The Declaration of Principle sets out the policy framework of the legislation. Unlike previous youth justice legislation, the YCJA provides guidance on the priority that is to be given to key principles.

THE DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLE STATES:

• The youth justice system is intended to protect the public by (i) holding young persons accountable through measures that are proportionate to the seriousness of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the young person, (ii) promoting the rehabilitation and reintegration of young persons, and (iii) supporting crime prevention by referring young persons to programs or agencies in the community to address the circumstances underlying their offending behaviour.

• The youth justice system must be separate from the adult system and must be based on the principle of diminished moral blameworthiness or culpability.

• The youth justice system must reflect the fact that young people lack the maturity of adults. The youth system is different from the adult system in many respects: measures of accountability are consistent with young persons' reduced level of maturity, procedural protections are enhanced, rehabilitation and reintegration are given special emphasis, and the importance of timely intervention is recognized.

• Young persons are to be held accountable through interventions that are fair and in proportion to the seriousness of the offence.

• Within the limits of fair and proportionate accountability, interventions should reinforce respect for societal values; encourage the repair of harm done; be meaningful to the young person; respect gender, ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences; and respond to the needs of Aboriginal young persons and young persons with special requirements.

• Youth justice proceedings require a recognition that young persons have rights and freedoms in their own right and special guarantees of these rights and freedoms; courtesy, compassion and respect for victims; the opportunity for victims to be informed and to participate; and that parents be informed and encouraged to participate in addressing the young person's offending behaviour.

AMMENDMENTS TO THE YCJA IN OCTOBER 23, 2012

In 2012, the Government of Canada passed a new law, known as the 'SAFE STREETS AND COMMUNITIES ACT', which made important changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). These changes, which came into force on October 23, 2012, are designed to strengthen the ways in which the youth justice system deals with serious violent and repeat offenders.

AMONG OTHER CHANGES

The YCJA now highlights the protection of the public as a key goal of the youth justice system. The amendment makes clear that the youth criminal justice system is intended to protect the public by holding young offenders accountable; by promoting their rehabilitation and reintegration into society; and by preventing crime by addressing the circumstances underlying the offending behaviour.

The YCJA now requires that the Crown consider seeking an adult sentence for youth aged 14 and older who are charged with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, or aggravated sexual assault. The Crown is also required to advise the court if they choose not to apply for an adult sentence in a case involving one of these serious violent offences.

THE QUESTION:

Should young offenders have their identities hidden by the courts?

THE LEMON:

Homolka

Karla Homolka for participating in the kidnapping and murder of 2 teenagers and her sister. By agreeing to testify against her husband, she received only a twelve year sentence. THE MOTHER OF THREE NOW RESIDES IN THE CARIBBEAN. pity the children!

THE QUOTE: