FORUM on Corrections Research

Male young offenders in Canada: Revised edition (R-78, 1998)

Roberta L. Sinclair, and Roger Boe

This report is a summary and presentation of recent trends involving male young offenders in Canada. It is an update to the original report, B-22, published in May, 1998. This version includes 1997 Uniform Crime Report data.

The three data sources used in compiling this report are the Uniform Crime Report Survey, the Youth Court Survey, and the Corrections Key Indicator Report, all published by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. Where available, the analysis in this report examine male young offender trends over the past six years. The analyses are directed toward seven questions:

1. Has there been an increase in male youth charged by police, 1992-1997?
   At the national level there has been a consistent decrease. By offence category, there was a slight increase in violent crimes until 1995, when a decrease trend began ending with the 1997 rate equal to the 1992 rate.
   
2. Has there been an increase in male youth processed through the youth court system, 1991/92-1996/97?
   At the national level, no
   
3. Are male youth getting involved with crime at a younger age?
   At the national level, male youth are not getting involved with crime at a younger age. Amean age of 15.5 has remained consistent from 1992/93 to 1995/96, increasing slightly in 1996/97 to 16.
   
4. Are male youth getting more violent?
   The national rate of violent crime by male youth peaked in 1995 and decreased in subsequent years.
   
5. Has there been an increase in the frequency of male youth remanded into custody pending disposition of a charge?
   Due to data from only Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and British Columbia, conclusions are tentative. Prince Edward Island increased from 1992/93 to 1996/97.
   Overall stability in Manitoba from 1992/93 was followed by an increase to the highest rate per 10,000 male youth in 1996/97.
   British Columbia increased only slightly.
   
6. Are male youth getting more serious dispositions?
   There has been a consistent increase in secure custody dispositions.
   
7. Has there been an increase in the number of male youth transferred to adult court?
   There has been an increase from 1991/92 to 1996/97.

This report presents data on the national and regional levels separately and provides comparisons between regions.