Youth Crime in Canada: Changing Nature and Impact on Society

This essay examines the evolving landscape of youth crime in Canada, focusing on how its nature has changed over time. It explores the factors contributing to juvenile delinquency, including financial instability, social environments, and family structures. The paper highlights the impact of the Youth Justice System in Canada and analyzes statistical data to demonstrate shifts in crime rates and types of offenses. The author argues that the nature of youth crime has changed due to government measures and societal influences, while also acknowledging that criminal activities have been reduced but not eliminated. It references key studies and reports to support its claims, offering insights into the complexities of youth crime and its societal implications.

Running head: YOUTH CRIME
CHANGES OF NATURE OF YOUTH CRIME IN CANADA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

1YOUTH CRIME
Juvenile crime is considered to be one of the serious problems in the world. The
Canadian regional, state and federal government is very concerned about it. Recently, this
concern gives a histrionic rise in juvenile ferocity which started in the middle of the 1980s and
drawn in the initial 1990s. The rates of juvenile crime have decreased in the middle of the 1990s.
After observing the reducing crime rate some authors questioned that is the nature of the youth
crime has been changed over the time? Numerous researchers, scholars and philanthropist are of
the view that the Canadian government failed to provide adequate resources, supports and
healthy opportunities which is important for growing children and for this reason juveniles and
young people committed heinous crimes. Not only that, juveniles treated by several Canadian
crime policies as adults (Doob & Tonry, 2004). Thus, after observing the situation, several
measures have been taken by the Canadian government which helps to change the nature of
juvenile crime over time. This paper would be arguing that the nature of youth crime changed
over time in Canada. While discussing the same it also sheds light on the impact of changes in
the Youth Justice System of Canada.
It has been observed that generally people committing criminal activities are not born
criminals. There are various factors present in the society which influences the young generation
to commit a crime. It is a fact that while individuals have a responsibility to act appropriately in
the society, similarly it is also the responsibility of the society and fellow citizens to remove
those factors which obstruct healthy development of the young generation. The root factors of
crimes need to be researched in such a way so that the crime can be prevented appropriately.
Usually, crime is the result of multiple contrary conditions which include social, financial,
traditional and family conditions (Bala, Carrington & Roberts, 2009). Therefore, researchers are
of the view that it is vital to have an idea about the understanding of the roots of crime for

2YOUTH CRIME
preventing it. The roots are complex but interrelated with each other, which can be divided into
three categories, such as:
 Financial factors or Poverty: Money plays a vital role in juvenile crime. Poverty itself
reveals in a deficiency of learning prospects, deficiency of significant job options, poor
accommodation, deficiency of expectation and the bias against individuals living in
poverty.
 Social Environment: Social reasons of crime include disparity, deficiency of backing to
relatives and fellow citizens, actual or superficial remoteness to services, deficiency of
control in communities, lack of well-being, and effect of crime programs broadcast on
television.
 Family structures: Family plays an important role in the psychological development of
children. Dysfunctional family situations give rise to future wrongdoing, which includes
family violence, parental insufficiency, fight, and criminality, deficiency of
communication, respect, and responsibility, mistreatment and neglect of kids.
Without improving these areas, the Canadian government cannot reduce crime rates from
society (Carrington, 2013).
There exists a strong relationship between decreasing hazard and constructing flexibility
in children and reducing crime. Complications take place when the larger communal, political
and financial arrangements within which children live endanger the wealth of family and
generate pressure on the members of the family. Thus, appropriate care to every child will have
inordinate importance for their physical, psychological, and emotional well-being and their
improvement into a self-determining, healthy grown person (Adorjan, 2011).

3YOUTH CRIME
Juvenile criminal conduct is regarded as a key concern in most of the societies,
particularly when the question arises in which way juveniles are treated within the criminal
justice system. For instance, while treating an accused below the age of 18 years, his/her age, and
the interest of endorsing the rehabilitation of the child and the assumption that the child plays a
constructive role in the society have been taken into consideration by the Canadian Youth Justice
System. Besides, the initiatives regarding crime prevention usually emphases on the on juveniles
with the expectation that these initiatives will have an enduring impact on crime lessening (Pitts,
2008).
A report published in 2014 showed that almost 101,000 youth within the age group of 12
to 17 years is accused of violating the Criminal Code. As per the police report youths were
mainly involved in minor offences, such as theft, mischief, and assault. However, the positive
thing is that it has been reported by the policing authority that the crime rate has been declined
by 42 per cent from the period of 2003 to 2016 (Allen & Superle, 2016).
Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be said that the nature of youth crime
changed over time in Canada. Several measures have been taken by the Canadian government to
reduce the rate. However, it cannot be said that criminal activities have been completely removed
from the society but it has been reduced to a great extend which has also a significant impact in
the society.

4YOUTH CRIME
Reference
Adorjan, M. C. (2011). Emotions contests and reflexivity in the news: Examining discourse on
youth crime in Canada. Journal of contemporary ethnography, 40(2), 168-198
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891241610385456
Allen, M., & Superle, T. (2016). Youth Crime in Canada 2014. Retrieved from
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14309-eng.pdf
Bala, N., Carrington, P. J., & Roberts, J. V. (2009). Evaluating the Youth Criminal Justice Act
after five years: A qualified success. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal
Justice, 51(2), 131-167.
http://www.youthjusticeontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Evaluating-YCJA-After-
5-Years-Bala-Carrington-Roberts-2009-.pdf
Carrington, P. J. (2013). Trends in the seriousness of youth crime in Canada, 1984–
2011. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 55(2), 293-314.
https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/cjccj.2012.E25
Doob, A. N., & Tonry, M. (2004). Varieties of youth justice. Crime and Justice, 31, 1-20.
https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1500&context=faculty_articles
Pitts, J. (2008). Reluctant gangsters: The changing face of youth crime. Taylor & Francis.
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hl=en&lr=&id=OIoZGAQQG7UC&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=Pitts,+J.+(2008).
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5YOUTH CRIME
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