It's often hard to figure out exactly how many young people in Canada have committed crimes, and one method of study is to simply ask to see how many will self-report violations. This method could be skewed, as some may feel compelled to lie, but it is still a valuable tool.
Interestingly, self-reporting alone showed that around 37 percent of young people committed crimes. These crimes fell under the broad categories of violent acts, property crimes and the sale of drugs.
Violent behavior happened twice as often with boys as it did with girls. It was reported by just 15 percent of girls and 30 percent of boys.
Property crimes also fell in favor of boys, though the split was not as drastic. Girls reported these crimes in 26 percent of cases, with boys coming in again at 30 percent.
Young people born in foreign countries seemed less likely to commit crimes, or they at least reported them less often in studies. Just 15 percent of them said they'd engaged in delinquent behaviour, whereas 23 percent of those who admitted it were from Canada.
For next generation children, though, there was not much of a split. Those who had parents who'd also been born in Canada were almost just as likely to have committed crimes as those who had parents who were born elsewhere and then moved to Canada.
Self-reporting may not paint the whole picture on juvenile crimes in Ottawa, but it does show some of the trends. Any young people who have been accused of crimes need to know what rights and legal options they have.
Source: Public Safety Canada, "A Statistical Snapshot of Youth at Risk and Youth Offending in Canada," accessed Sep. 30, 2015
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