NCJ Number
66585
Date Published
Unknown
Length
74 pages
Annotation
THE STATE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN THE DIFFERENT PROVINCES OF CANADA IS DETERMINED THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF OFFICIAL CRIME STATISTICS.
Abstract
THE STUDY IS BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF CANADIAN JUVENILE CRIME STATISTICS FOR 1973 AND A SAMPLE STUDY OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN 1976. IT EXPLORES THE RATES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE CANADIAN JUVENILE CODE IN THE DIFFERENT PROVINCES, THE TYPES OF OFFENSES COMMITTED, AND THE AGE OF OFFENDERS. THE RESULTS INDICATE PRONOUNCED VARIATIONS IN THE DELINQUENCY RATES OF DIFFERENT PROVINCES RANGING FROM 40.3 DELINQUENTS PER 1,000 JUVENILES TO A MERE 3 DELINQUENTS. CORRESPONDINGLY, THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE SAME JUVENILE CODE ALSO VARIES FROM PROVINCE TO PROVINCE. THUS, SOME PROVINCES FREQUENTLY TAKE POLICE ACTION WITHOUT BRINGING CHARGES AGAINST THE DELINQUENT, WHILE OTHERS TAKE POLICE AND COURT ACTION, OR DO NEITHER. ALTHOUGH THE TYPE OF CRIMES ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION, THE MAJORITY OF CANADIAN JUVENILE OFFENSES ARE NONVIOLENT PROPERTY OFFENSES (I.E. THEFT) FOLLOWED BY VIOLENT PROPERTY OFFENSES (I.E. BURGLARIES). WITH REGARD TO OFFENDER AGE, JUVENILES OF 16 AND 17 YEARS AVERAGE AS MUCH CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS ALL OF THE JUVENILES AGE 15 AND UNDER. ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF ALL JUVENILE OFFENDERS ARE 14 YEARS OR OLDER. OVERALL FINDINGS INDICATE THAT GREAT GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION EXISTS IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE AND THAT THE LOW AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY BRINGS JUVENILES INTO THE COURTS AT AN UNNECESSARILY EARLY AGE. THE AMENDED JUVENILE CODE (PROPOSED IN 1979) RAISING THE AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY TO 12 YEARS SHOULD BE ADOPTED. NUMEROUS STATISTICAL CHARTS ARE INCLUDED. --FRENCH. (SAJ)