This document provides an outline and overview of juvenile offenders and youth criminal justice. It discusses the history of juvenile justice legislation in Canada from 1908 to the present. It also covers assessment of young offenders, common behavioral disorders, risk and protective factors, and prevention and treatment approaches. The key points are that legislation has aimed to balance accountability, protection, and rehabilitation over time. Assessment examines consent issues and internalizing vs. externalizing behaviors. Early childhood onset of problems tends to be more persistent compared to adolescent onset.

1. Juvenile Offenders
Chapter 12

2. Outline
1. History
2. Assessment of Young Offenders
3. Theories of An@social Behaviour
4. Risk and Protec@ve Factors
5. Preven@on and Treatment
6. Video

3. 1. History
Juvenile Young Youth
Delinquents Offenders Criminal
Legal Act Act Jus@ce Act
Act
Year 1908 1984 2003

4. 1. Juvenile Delinquents Act
• Youth between 7 and 16
• Separate court system
• Sentencing op@ons increased
• Parents encouraged to par@cipate
• Problems?

5. 1. Young Offenders Act
• Accountability for ac@ons
• Protec@on of the public
• Legal rights
• Minimum age for criminal offence is 12
• Problems?

6. 1. Youth Criminal Jus@ce Act
• Less serious crime out of court
• Extrajudicial measures increase
• Preven@on and reintegra@on
• No transfers
• Vic@m needs recognized

7. 1. Youth Criminal Jus@ce Act
Objec@ves
1. Preven@on
2. Encourage taking responsibility for ac@ons
3. Improve rehabilita@on and reintegra@on

8. 1. Youth crime rates
All Criminal Code Viola.ons
(excluding traffic)
180000
175000
170000
165000
160000
2007 2008

9. 1. Youth crime rates
Violent Non‐violent
52,000 130,000
51,000
125,000
50,000
120,000
49,000
115,000
48,000
47,000 110,000
2007 2008 2007 2008

10. 1. Youth crime rates
Traffic Viola.ons Federal Statute
480 27,900
27,600
460
27,300
440
27,000
420
26,700
400 26,400
2007 2008 2007 2008

11. 1. Youth crime rates and the YCJA
Has the YCJA been effec@ve?

12. 2. Assessment of Young Offenders
• Issue of consent
• Consent
• Assent

13. 2. Behavioural Problems
• Two Categories…
Internalizing Externalizing

14. 2. Internalizing problems
• Emo@onal problem
• E.g., Anxiety, Depression, Obsessions
• Easier to treat than externalizing problems
• More typically displayed by females

15. 2. Externalizing problems
• Behaviour problem
• E.g., Figh@ng, Bullying, Lying
• More difficult to treat and persistent than
internalizing
• Symptoms peak in teens
• More common in males
• Mul@ple informants

16. 2. Common Diagnoses in Young
Offenders
• A`en@on Deficit Hyperac@vity Disorder (ADHD)
• Opposi@onal Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Conduct Disorder (CD)

17. 2. ADHD
• Ina`en@on features
• Lack of a`en@on to detail, failure to listen, loses
items, forgedul…
• Hyperac@vity features
• Fidgets, leaves seat, talks excessively…
• Impulsivity features
• Difficulty wai@ng, interrupts, blurts out responses

18. 2. ODD
• Loses temper
• Argues with adults
• Deliberately annoys others
• Angry and resendul
• Vindic@ve

19. 2. Rates of Behaviour Disorders
5 – 15% have
severe behaviour
problems

20. 2. Rates of Behaviour Disorders
5‐15%
ODD
ADHD 20‐50% or
CD

21. 2. Rates of Behaviour Disorders
5‐15%
40% will
develop
Children CD
with ODD

22. 2. Rates of Behaviour Disorders
5‐15%
50%
Children develop
with CD AP as
adults

23. 2. Trajectories of Youth Offenders
• Cri@cal factor = age of onset
3‐5%
~25% childhood
no onset onset
70% adolescent
onset

24. 2. Child onset trajectory
• More serious and persistent
• Many other difficul@es
• ADHA, learning disabili@es, academic trouble
• Most do not become offenders

25. 2. Adolescent onset trajectory
• Many commit social transgressions
• Most desist commijng an@social acts in
adulthood
• More so than those with childhood onset

26. 2. Brame, Nagin & Tremblay (2001)
• Followed boys from kindergarten to age 20
• Measured levels of aggression
• Categorized boys as low, medium and high levels
of aggression (based on ini@al measurement)

27. 2. Brame, Nagin & Tremblay (2001)
25
20
15
Low
10 Medium
High
5
0
4 8 12 16 20

28. 3. Biological – Neurological
• Frontal lobe
• Key role in planning and inhibi@ng behaviour
• Lower ac@va@on in frontal lobe
• Increased likelihood of an@social acts

29. 3. Biological ‐ Physiological
• Lower heart rate

30. 3. Biological ‐ Gene@c
• Paternal an@social behaviour related to
offspring an@social behaviour
• Twin studies

31. 3. Cogni@ve
• A`en@on in social interac@ons
1. A`ending to social cues
2. Use cues/thoughts about cues to choose
behaviour
– Process fewer cues (environment)
– Misa`ribute hos@le intent (thoughts)
– Produce fewer more aggressive solu@ons
(thoughts/behaviour choices)
– Cogni@ve deficits

32. 3. Cogni@ve
• Reac@ve and Proac@ve aggression
• Reac@ve: response to perceived threat
• cogni@ve deficiency in processing/a`ending to social
cues
• Proac@ve: directed at achieving a goal
• deficiency in genera@ng alterna@ve solu@ons
• Reac@ve tend to have earlier onset

33. 3. Social
• Social Learning Theory
• Learn behaviour from others
• Imitate
• An@social children have an@social examples

34. 4. Individual Risk Factors
• Individual
• Gene@c/biological (e.g., ADHD)
• Uterine environment (e.g., fetal alcohol syndrome)
• Temperament

35. 4. Familial Risk Factors
• Familial
• Neglect
• Family conflict
• Paren@ng style
• Child abuse

36. 4. School and Social Risk Factors
• School and Social
• Lower IQ
• Aggressive play with peers
• Deviant peers

37. 4. Protec@ve Factors
• Similar children have different outcomes
• Resilience
• Protec@ve factors…
1. Change the level of risk associated with a risk
factor
2. Change the nega@ve chain reac@on
3. Help develop and maintain self‐esteem
4. Provide opportuni@es

38. 4. Individual Protec@ve Factors
• Individual
• Resilient temperament

39. 4. Familial Protec@ve Factors
• Familial
• Posi@ve and suppor@ve environment
• Good parent‐child rela@onship

40. 4. School and Social Protec@ve Factors
• School and Social
• Associa@ng with prosocial children

41. 5. Preven@on and Treatment
• Prior to violence
• Decrease likelihood of future violence
Primary • e.g., family‐oriented, school oriented,
community wide
• Directed at young offenders
• Reduce frequency of violence
Secondary • e.g., diversion programs
• For youth who have gone through formal
court proceedings
Ter@ary • Prevent violence from reoccurring
• e.g., in‐pa@ent treatment