Chapter 11 Chapter Summary

This chapter introduces us to the complicated and controversial area of youth involvement in crime and the youth justice system. While many people (even tough-on-crime enthusiasts) are reluctant to arrest or convict youth because of the long-term life consequences, something still has to be done to deal with youth who break the law. Although most youth engage in some minor criminal offences (and they are typically cautioned or brought home to their parents to deal with their fractious behavior), there are some youth who commit violent offenses. For these youth, Canadians are undecided on whether they should be treated the same as adults in the justice system or not. As the chapter indicates, these are the youth who challenge the public’s patience and create the most significant challenges for the justice system and lawmakers.

The chapter traces the evolution of Canadian law that has dealt specifically with youth and introduced some reasons as to why youth engage in criminal behaviour. As the chapter indicates, some adolescent behaviour is a function of biological development and this must be considered when dealing with both youth who are in trouble with the law and the resultant consequences that follow. The chapter acknowledges that, overall, most youth crime is minor, that most individuals will age out of crime and delinquency, and that most serious offences are committed by young males. The trouble with this information is that some people will continue to be involved in crime and this has implications for the justice system (because wherever the population of young males is high, crime rates will also be elevated).

The chapter highlights the fact that although the number of youth who are behind bars in Canada has decreased since the inception of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, there are still many challenges that still have to be overcome. We need to work on considering the distinctive needs of both young girls and Aboriginals and their pathways to crime,and improve community supports, services, and resources. It is in everyone’s best interest to focus on developing effective programs that work towards reducing youth crime.