How is Youth Crime Reported and Organized in Canada?

The Government of Canada has a division known as Statistics Canada. You might have heard of them due to them conducting population census, by surveys and reported information from other organizations.

Statistics Canada has a predominant role in providing the public with statistically driven information on the economy, society, and environment that affect the Canadian population. 

But why is this information important when it comes to the statistical information on youth crime and offending?

There has been an established understanding that youth offenders and youth crime is handled differently by police, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system. Youth offenders are defined, organized, and hold different rights than other offenders sent through the criminal justice system funnel. 

This is seen in our two previous blogs in our series, “Understanding the Correlation between Youth and Criminality in Canada” and “How Does the Youth Criminal Justice System Protect Youth Offenders.”

With this establishment in mind, youth offending and crime is held to a different standard and recorded separately in Statistics Canada Reports.  

How Is Youth Crime Recorded?

There are two different forms of reporting for youth offences. The two forms of reporting are Youth Crime Rates and the Youth Crime Severity Index.

The Youth Crime Rate is when Criminal Code offenses are reported and weighed based on severity. This rate excludes traffic violations and other federal acts outlined in Canadian legislation.

The Youth Crime Severity Index (YCSI), outlines and organizes all the types of crimes that are committed by youth. This includes the Criminal Code offences that also include traffic violations and other federal acts outlined in Canadian legislation. 

The Criminal Code, Federal, and Traffic Violation Definitions:

Criminal Code of Canada was created in 1892 and outlines the following:

• Federal laws or violations established that are deemed as criminal acts against a community, person, or property.
• It states proceedings, offenses, and jurisdiction of law.
• The code is updated often to reflect the evolution of crimes and society. 

Some offences that are outlined in the Criminal Code are:

• Crimes against a person (Ex: murder or assault)
• Crimes against property (Ex: mischief or breaking and entering)
• Crimes against administration (law enforcement or judicial system)
• Sexual offences (Ex: sexual assault)
• Terrorism or propaganda (Ex: involvement in terrorist organizations)

Other federal acts that are upheld through Canadian legislation are not outlined in the Criminal Code of Canada. Each of these acts have their own purpose, set of laws, and convictions. 

The following acts are: 

• Firearms Act of 1995
• Controlled Drugs and Substance Act of 1996
• Youth Criminal Justice Act of 2003

The definition of a traffic violation in Canada refers to laws that are broken due to illegal acts committed while driving any form of motor vehicle. 

Traffic laws are federally and provincially regulated and enforced. Meaning, there are different variations of these laws and violations across Canada when it comes to provincial traffic violations. 

These violations can be compensated in the forms of: 

• Fines
• Citations
• Tickets
• Suspended licenses
• Court summons 
• Jail time

Youth Crime Severity Index Statistics

2014 Youth Crime Statistics Based on Youth Crime Severity Index:

• 94,100 youths committed of a criminal offense
• 68% of crime committed is a non-violent 
• 55% of criminal offenses did not result in a criminal charge 
• 1 in 10 crimes committed were within school time hours (8am to 4pm)

Most Frequent Criminal Code Offences Committed in 2014: 

• Mischief under $5,000 – considerable destruction of property. 
• Mischief – destruction of property that is deemed as dangerous. 
• Assault – application of force against a person that was dangerous and not consensual.
• Breaking and Entering – intended trespassing of private property with intent to commit further acts. 

Police and Law Enforcement Role in Recording of Information:

It is common practice for police and law enforcement officials to report on criminal activity. But the recording of statistical information on criminal activity committed by youth is different from the reporting of adult offenders.

When these interactions happen with police or law enforcement officers, their first instinct is to not charge or convict the youth with a crime. Especially if the act that has been committed is not seen as severe. 

The only time that police and law enforcement record criminal activity is when a youth offender is charged and brought back to the division for processing. 

Here, the officer would ask a series of government standardized questions. One of the questions that is asked by police and law enforcement officials is if the youth has been raised in a single or multi-parent family. 

Allowing for them to understand the socio-economic status of the youth. Creating further understanding on the types of youth that they are interacting with. 

The information that is collected is then sent to Statistics Canada in datasets. These datasets are then sorted into the Youth Offender Crime Rate and the Youth Crime Severity Index (YCSI). 

These two rates are then used to rate and weigh the types of crimes that are being committed. Creating statistical displays of information for governmental theoretical understanding and reform. Allowing for the information is also used for reviewing laws, the criminal justice system, and the crime rate of youth  in Canada.