Who reports delinquency?

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The 2006 IYS data showed that 13% of Toronto youth in grades 7, 8 and 9 reported committing at least one property-related act of delinquency. The same proportion (13%) also reported committing at least one violent act of delinquency within the 12 months prior to the survey.1

Consistent with research on delinquency across Western countries (Loeber and Farrington, 2001), the demographic model in this study showed that sex, age and family composition were significant predictors of both property (Table 1) and violent delinquency in youth (Table 2), while immigrant status was significantly associated with a decrease in property delinquency.

Table 1 Adjusted odds ratios for property delinquency among youth by demographic characteristics, 2006. Opens a new browser window.

Table 1
Adjusted odds ratios for property delinquency among youth by demographic characteristics, 2006

Table 2 Adjusted odds ratios for violent delinquency among youth by demographic characteristics, 2006. Opens a new browser window.

Table 2
Adjusted odds ratios for violent delinquency among youth by demographic characteristics, 2006

The results showed that the odds of boys reporting at least one act of property delinquency were about 55% higher than for girls, and the odds of boys reporting at least one act of violent delinquency were over two and one-half times higher than for girls. Each one-year increase in age was linked to a 47% increase in the odds of reporting property delinquency, and a 23% increase in the odds of reporting violent delinquency. In addition, youth from single-parent families had odds of reporting property delinquency that were about two times higher than those in intact (i.e., two biological-parent) families. Finally, those from step/blended families had odds of reporting both property and violent delinquency that were roughly two and one-half times higher than those living in intact families.

Little is known about the relationship between immigrant status and delinquency in the Canadian context, although previous work in the United States suggests that immigrant youth whose parents have more resources and education at the time of immigration experience better outcomes (Zhou, 1997). In this study, recent immigrants, or youth who immigrated to Canada after the age of 5 years, had lower chances of reporting property delinquency. The odds of recent immigrant youth reporting at least one act of property delinquency in the last year were 60% lower than those for native-born Canadians. However, there were no significant differences in the chances of reporting a property offence between native-born Canadians and either youth who arrived in Canada as young children (i.e., before the age of 5 years) or second generation youth who were born in Canada but whose parents were born outside of the country. There was no evidence that reporting violent delinquency differed between native-born Canadians and any other immigrant status type (Table 2).

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Variables used in this study2

Dependent variables

Property delinquency measures whether or not youth reported committing at least one property-related delinquent act in the last 12 months.
Violent delinquency measures whether or not youth reported committing at least one violent delinquent act in the last 12 months.

Independent variables

Sex includes female and male.
Age ranges from 12 to 17 years.
Generational status measures immigrant status and age at first immigration to Canada.
Family composition includes intact, single-parent, step/blended family or other family situation.
Negative attitudes towards school measures feelings towards or observations about school as reported by youth.
Perception of school safety measures perceptions of safety at school as reported by youth.
University aspirations measures aspirations to attend university as reported by youth.
Skipping school measures if and how often youth reported skipping school in the last 12 months.
Victimization measures whether or not youth reported having been hit, stolen from, bullied at school or threatened in the last 12 months.
Discrimination measures whether or not youth reported ever having been discriminated against.
Positive mother-youth relationship measures whether or not youth reported getting along with their mother.
Positive father-youth relationship measures whether or not youth reported getting along with their father.
Goes out at night measures whether or not youth reported going out at night without their parents.
Time spent with family measures with whom youth reported spending the majority of their time: alone, with family or with friends.
Illegal activities acceptable to peer group measures whether or not youth reported that their peer group considers illegal acts acceptable.

Notes

  1. For detailed information on the age, sex and grade breakdown of youth who reported delinquency in the survey see Savoie (2007).
  2. For a more detailed description of variables used in this analysis refer to the Description of variables portion of the Methodology section.