There are many misperceptions about youth in Canadian society. On the one hand, we are concerned about young people who are troubled, but at the same time, many individuals are unable to move beyond a perception that youth are trouble. This fact sheet lays out some of the more common misconceptions about young people generally, and young offenders in particular with a view to gaining a better understanding about the myths which are perpetrated about young people today.
Myth: Young people are the major cause of violence in this country.
Fact: Youth are less likely to be charged with violent crime than adults. In 1997-98, over half (53%) of all youth charged with an offence were charged with property related offences while 20% were charged with violent offences. While there has been an increase in the number of young persons charged with violent crime since 1986, according to statistics for 1997-98, 44% of violent offences were for common assault
(the least violent or serious form of assault). It must be remembered that there have been substantial changes to legislation dealing with young people both within the criminal justice system and the wider society. Any change in legislation or policy (i.e. zero tolerance policies in schools) can lead to a subsequent change in reporting of incidents or infractions to the police. The rate of youths charged with violent crime has declined for the second year in a people today.
Myth: More youth than adults commit murder.
Fact: In 1997 there were a total of 581 homicides which accounts for 0.02% of the almost three million Criminal Code incidents reported. Of these cases, 56 youths were accused of murder. While research in the United States has shown that persons accused of homicide has become increasingly younger, it appears that the median age of those accused of homicide has increased slightly over the past 25 years. In 1997, the most common single age for someone accused for homicide was 32 The rate of homicides for youths ranged from 1.5 to 2.9 per 100,000 youths since 1987 and in 1997 was 2.3 per 100,000.
Myth: The increase in the crime rate in Canada is directly related to the increase in youth crime.
Fact: Research has shown that young people are at higher risk of committing criminal offences and the prevalence of offending peaks during the teenage years and decreases as people mature into their twenties. However, the crime rate in Canada has been steadily declining over the past six years with a 19 % decrease reported over the years 1991 to 1997. This is due in part to the declining number of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years ( from 4.5 million to 4.1 million) and an increase in the population aged 55 years and over (from 5.1 million to 6.5 million).
Myth: The elderly are more likely to be victims of violent youth crime.
Fact: While victimization studies and national polls have shown an underlining perception of increasing crime sensed by certain vulnerable populations, the elderly continue to be a low risk age group for becoming a victim of homicide. The most likely victim of youth violence are other youths (56%), and male youth in particular . Six in ten victims of youth violence were male.
Myth: Most youth charged with an offence are not found guilty anyway.
Fact: In 1997-98, 67 percent of all cases heard in youth court resulted in a conviction for at least one charge. In New
Brunswick in this same year, 87% of youths appearing in youth court on charges were convicted of at least one charge.
Myth: Even if convicted of an offence, nothing happens to a young offender in terms of a sentence.
Fact: While the majority of young persons found guilty of a youth offence serve their sentences in the community, in 1997-98, one third of cases with convictions resulted in custodial sentences. In New Brunswick, 30% of youth found guilty of an offence received a custodial disposition. Custody was the most common sentence ordered in cases involving murder/manslaughter, attempted murder, aggravated assault, robbery, escape from custody/ being unlawfully at large and failure to comply with a court disposition. In 1997-98, repeat offenders were three times more likely to be ordered to serve a term of custody than first time offenders for both violent and property related offences. Further, as the number of prior convictions increased for a repeat young offender, the severity and length of sentence also increased.
Myth: Locking up all young offenders is the smartest way to deal with juvenile crime.
Fact: While it is necessary for some young people to serve some time in custody, ultimately all young people are going to return to their communities. It is essential that young people are provided with appropriate opportunities for their rehabilitation early on in the process of committing offences so as to lessen the difficulties experienced by youth in reintegrating into their communities. If you put an unripened tomato in a paper bag for three weeks, you will be taking it out of the bag as a rotten tomato. The same
holds true for young offenders.
Myth: It is cheaper to lock kids in jail than to try and treat them in the community.
Fact: Many programs that prevent youth crime or assist youth in the community are far less expensive than incarceration. The average annual cost of detaining an adult offender in an institution is $50,375 while the estimated annual cost of detaining a young offender is $100,000.
Myth: Just keeping kids in at night would take care of most crime, certainly most violence.
Fact: Contrary to what most people think, the peak times for the commission of crime by young people is between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., the after school hours when young people are left on their own to pursue "leisure" interests.
Myth: There's nothing you can do to prevent youth crime.
Fact: There are many programs that have been proven to be effective in curbing the conditions that lead young people toward crime, strengthen the aspects of their lives that tend to keep them from becoming involved with crime, and work with the community to strengthen the capacity of the community to effectively deal with young people.
Myth: Most teenagers are lazy and don't want to help their communities.
Fact: Six out of ten young people already volunteer with community agencies. Almost nine out of ten teenagers would volunteer to take part in programs to help prevent crime if they knew how to get involved with their communities.
