Chapter 3: The “Facts” of Youth Crime

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which of the following is the best measure of “detected crime”?

1. police statistics
2. court statistics
3. victimization surveys
4. self-report surveys

2. According to the text, it has been argued that news stories and articles that report “crime waves” are more accurately described as which of the following?

1. cycles of juvenile justice
2. media waves
3. unfounded stories
4. self-fulfilling prophecies

3. In 2008, the highest percentage of apprehended youth were charged with which of the following crimes?

a. robbery

b. assault level I

c. assault level III

d. theft under $1,000

4. In the 1960s, which of the following was established to standardize police data in Canada?

1. police reporting
2. Uniform Crime Reporting
3. crime severity index
4. the Young Offenders Act

5. Which of the follow terms assigns a weight to each offence based on the seriousness of the average sentence for that offence and the proportion of prison sentences?

1. crime index
2. official statistics
3. types of offences
4. crime severity index

6. According to the text, what do police statistics tell us about youth crime?

a. Youth are responsible for less violent crime than are adults.

b. Most youth crime can be accounted for by motor vehicle theft.

c. Youth charge rates have increased since the YCJA was implemented.

d. Youth are responsible for considerably more violent crime than are adults.

7. According to the text, what do youth court statistics best measure?

a. youth justice

b. victimization

c. police activity

d. youth criminal activity

8. According to victimization surveys, which of the following characteristics is the most difficult for victims to recall?

1. gender
2. age
3. race
4. hair colour

9. According to the text, what do youth crime statistics tell us about gender and violent crime?

a. Girls are less likely to use knives than boys.

b. Girls participate in more group fights in public spaces than boys.

c. Girls are charged for violent offences at younger ages than boys.

d. Boys are less likely to be charged with common assault than girls.

10. According to the text, which of the following statements is true regarding homicides committed by youth?

1. Females are responsible for committing more homicides than males.
2. The most common victims are parents, family, and acquaintances.
3. Youth homicides rates in Canada are similar to the United States.
4. Youth homicides usually involve multiple offenders and one victim.

11. According to evidence provided by Carrington in the “violent crime debate,” which of the following can best account for the increases in youth crime since the YOA was implemented?

a. telescoping

b. self-fulfilling prophecy

c. increased police reporting

d. increased incidences of homicide

12. According to the text, what methodological issue below most concerns researchers about victimization surveys?

a. reliability

b. telescoping

c. unfounded offences

d. self-fulfilling prophecy

13. According to police statistics cited in the text, how does adult crime compare to youth crime?

a. Youth account for more than half of all charges in property crime.

b. Youth account for fewer criminal code offence charges than adults.

c. Youth are responsible for more motor vehicle theft and mischief charges than adults.

d. The ratio of youth to adult crime has increased with the implementation of the YCJA.

SHORT ANSWER

1. Using Table 3.3A found on pages 78–79, apply your knowledge about crime statistics by interpreting the information this table provides on violent crime from 1986–1996.

• Overall the number of youth charged with violent crimes increased from 9,275 in 1986 to 22,521 in 1996.
• Overall the youth violent crime rate increased from 408 per 100,000 youth in 1986 to 932 per 100,000 youth in 1996.
• The greatest percentage change in the violent crime rate took place from 1998-1989 (an increase of 20.7 percent) followed by 1990–1991 (an increase of 19.3 percent).
• The rate of violent crime increased every year during this time period except from 1993–1994 and 1995–1996.

REF: 76-79

1. Explain how the use of police discretion can affect police statistics as well as court statistics.

• If police choose not to lay a charge or use a diversionary measure, this occurrence will not show up in statistics regarding youth charged with criminal offences nor will it show up in court statistics.
• Police have more discretion to lay charges with minor offences (vandalism, mischief, etc.) than they do with serious offences (robbery, break and enter, murder) so it is important to consider the type of offence. Serious offences are less likely to be impacted by police discretion and therefore are more likely to show up in court statistics.
• Individual police officers may exercise different levels of discretion, which means that some officers may be more likely to lay charges and have the case end up in court.
• Different police departments may exercise different levels of discretion, which means that certain police departments may be more likely to lay charges and have the case end up in court.
• A self-fulfilling prophecy may be operating with regard to official statistics so that the police and courts may respond more severely to minority and poor youth compared to middle-class and non-minority youth.

REF: 76-86, 108-109

1. Summarize three of the possible disadvantages when using victimization surveys to study youth crime.

Disadvantages

• Does not measure common offences such as shoplifting or other crimes committed against businesses or corporations.
• Does not measure victimless crimes such as drug offences or crimes against people who are not aware they have been victimized.
• Victim may not be able to identify the offender’s age, especially if the offender is not known to the victim, so it may be difficult to determine whether the offender is a youth or adult.
• Victim reports may be influenced by popular stereotypes of criminals.
• People may not be truthful when filling out victimization surveys.
• Telescoping: victims report an event correctly but place it in the wrong time period.

REF: 88-90, 105-108

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. When examining a debate on a topic it is important to consider both sides. Using the table below, outline and interpret (a) which statistics a person who believes crime is increasing from 1990–2000 would use to support his or her view, and (b) which statistics a person who believes crime is decreasing from 1990–2000 would use to support his or her view. Further, (c) explain three important factors to consider when examining youth crime statistics.

1. Support for person who believes crime is increasing

• The number of violent crime offences double from 4,000 to 8,000.
• The number of property offences increased by a factor of five, from 6,000 to 30,000.
• The rate of property crime increased from 600 to 1,000 per 100,000 population, representing a 66.7 percent increase.
• The number of offences for overall crime increased by a factor of 3.8.
• The overall crime rate increased from 1,000 to 1,267 per 100,000 population but this does not take into account that this change was driven by an increase in the rate of property crime and that there was a decrease in the violent crime rate.

1. Support for person who believes crime is decreasing

• The rate of violent crime decreased from 400 to 267 per 100,000 youth. This represents a decrease of 33.25 percent. Rates are a better measure of crime because they take into account changes in population size.

1. Important factors to consider:

• What is the source of information: self-report survey, victimization survey, police statistics, court records, correctional agencies?
• Is the crime statistic presenting information on overall crime, violent crime, property crime, or crime by specific types of offence?
• Is the crime statistic presenting information using counts (number of offences) or crime rates (factors in population size)?
• What year(s) is the crime statistic from?
• What geographic area does the crime statistic cover: the entire country, provinces, cities, etc.?

REF: 73-115

1. Choose a recent news story, journal article, government publication/report, or other source that discusses the topic of youth crime in Canada. First, provide a summary of what is being discussed. Second, identify the crime statistics that are being used and interpret their meaning. Third, identify which source(s) of information the article relies on when discussing youth crime.

Summary of article

• Be sure to provide a summary that discusses the main points being addressed and the conclusions being drawn by the article.

Crime statistics used in article

• Are the crime statistics based on the number of offences, crime rates, etc.?
• Do the crime statistics reflect only one year or multiple years?
• Do the crime statistics show increases, decreases, or no change in crime?

Sources of information

• Does the article use media accounts, police statistics, court statistics, self-report surveys, victimization surveys, or personal accounts?

REF: 73-90