Youth crime, 2011
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Youth crime has been declining in Canada. Both the youth crime rate, which measures the volume of youth crime, and the youth Crime Severity Index, which measures the seriousness of youth crime, fell 10% in 2011, continuing the downward trend seen over the past decade (Chart 1).
Chart 1
Youth crime rate and youth Crime Severity Index, Canada, 2001 to 2011
1. The Index has been standardized to a base year of 2006 which is equal to 100.
Note: Refers to youth (12 to 17 years) who were formally charged by police (or recommended for charging) as well as youth who were cleared by other means (e.g. alternative measures).
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
Police reported just over 135,600 youth aged 12 to 17 accused of a Criminal Code offence in 2011, about 18,100 fewer than the previous year.1 The number of accused includes youth who were charged (or recommended for charging) by police, and those who were dealt with by means other than the formal laying of a charge (e.g. alternative measures).
Beginning in 2003, the same year the Youth Criminal Justice Act was implemented, the rate of youth diverted from the formal justice system has continually exceeded the rate of youth formally charged (Chart 2).
Chart 2
Youth accused of crime, by clearance status, Canada, 2001 to 2011
1. Refers to youth (12 to 17 years) who were formally charged by police (or recommended for charging).
2. Refers to youth (12 to 17 years) who were cleared by other means (e.g. alternative measures).
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
Note:
1. Excludes traffic offences.
Further information
Brennan, S. 2012. "Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2011." Juristat. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-002-X.
Statistics Canada. No date. Table 252-0051 - Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, annual. CANSIM. Last updated July 23, 2012.
Statistics Canada. No date. Table 252-0052 - Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, annual. CANSIM. Last updated July 23, 2012.
Wallace, M., J. Turner, C. Babyak and A. Matarazzo. 2009. Measuring Crime in Canada: Introducing the Crime Severity Index and Improvements to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-004-X.
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