The Daily. Tuesday, December 21, 1999
Statistics Canada today releases a Juristat presenting a detailed analysis of youth (aged 12 to 17) violent crime data reported by Canadian police forces. Baseline data on this subject were first released last July as part of the Juristat entitled Crime Statistics in Canada, 1998. Today's Juristat addresses a number of additional questions relating to youth violence and differences between crimes committed by male and female youths and between youth and adult offenders.
The rate of young people charged with violent crimes fell 1% in 1998, the third straight annual decline. However, despite these recent decreases, the rate of youths charged with violent crimes in 1998 was still 77% higher than it was a decade ago. The increase in violent crime among young people has been much greater than the increase for adults. Since 1988, the rate of violent crime among adults has increased only 6%.
In recent years, concern has grown about increasing violence by young women. However, the rate for female youths charged with violent crime was still only one-third the rate for their male counterparts. Since 1988, the rate of violent crime among female youths has more than doubled (+127%), compared with an increase of 65% among male youths.
For violent crime, two-thirds of female youths were charged with common assault, which is the least serious type of assault. For male youths, common assault represented only 46% of the charges for violent crimes. Male youths tended to be involved in more serious violent crimes, such as robbery and major assault, than female youths.
Female youths charged with violent crime tended to be younger than their male counterparts. Among male youths, the violent crime rate increased gradually with age, the highest rate being among 17-year-olds. Among females, the rate peaked at the ages of 14 and 15.
Young people tend to victimize others who are about the same age and who are known to them. Six in 10 victims of violent crime were acquaintances of the accused young person. More than half (52%) of the victims were youths themselves. Only 2% of victims of youth crime were aged 55 and over in 1998.
On a provincial basis, Prince Edward Island and Quebec had the lowest rates of violent crime among young people, while Manitoba and Saskatchewan had the highest. However, it should be noted that differences in practices and policies in the use of the alternative measures, such as pre-charge diversion of offenders, in each province and territory may explain a portion of the variations.
Among the nine largest census metropolitan areas, the rate of youths charged with violent crimes was highest in Winnipeg and lowest in Quebec City. Winnipeg also had the highest percentage of female youths charged with violent crime.
The vol. 19, no. 13 issue of Juristat: Youth violent crime (85-002-XPE, $10/$93; 85-002-XIE, $8/$70) is now available. See How to order publications.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Information and Client Services (613-951-9023 or 1-800-387-2231), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.