Analyzing Juvenile Justice Statistics in Metropolitan Areas

• NCJ Number: 92142
• Journal: Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1983) Pages: 447-462
• Author(s): J Hackler; W Paranjape
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

This examination of official juvenile justice statistics in Canada's 12 major metropolitan areas emphasizes the importance of the number of juveniles handled informally and the need for rules regarding standard population bases to encourage local personnel to make comparisons.

Abstract

Statistics generated by juvenile justice systems in various communities probably reflect official agencies' activities rather than juveniles' behavior. Juvenile statistics after 1978 no longer distinguish between number of juveniles charged and those handled informally, a critical loss of data on differing approaches to offenders. For example, it is known that Calgary police generally charge most property offenders and send them to juvenile court, whereas the Edmonton police tend to screen out many juvenile property offenders. However, current data will not reflect these patterns. To demonstrate methodological concerns and possible interpretations of juvenile statistics, the study examined responses on 12 metropolitan areas to juveniles committing theft under $500 in 1977 and 1978, using the 1976 census as the population base and defining the age group as 10-19. Analysis shows that the age limit of 18 opposed to 16 is not a major factor affecting the number of cases handled by the system. Statistics on females charged in Winnipeg and Montreal suggest different responses to these offenders rather than different delinquency rates, with Montreal screening out more females at an earlier stage than Winnipeg. The Ontario system generally appears to handle many juveniles informally, and the Maritimes tend to screen females from the justice system. Future research could use juvenile data to address three important questions: (1) is the net widening; (2) do underdogs accumulate in the system; and (3) are stigmatizing characteristics translated into official delinquency. Tables and 17 references are provided.