POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 87 Introduction This fact sheet provides an overview of violence perpetrated by and among youth in Canada. Recently, the media have focused on sensational reports of youth gangs, school violence and murder involving youth. Many Canadians are left with the impression that youth violence has dramatically increased in the past two decades. According to police statistics however, this is not the case. Only a small minority of youth commit violent crimes. Contrary to popular opinion, most violent young people most often victimize young friends or acquaintances, not adults or strangers. This fact sheet focuses on both young perpetrators and young victims and examines the causes and effects of violence. Defining Youth and Violence Youth violence may be defined as any intentional physical, sexual or psychological assault on another person (or persons) by one or more young people aged 12 to 19 years. The most common perpetrators of youth violence are young, heterosexual males. Although a growing number of female youth are violent, the abusive behaviour of males is more frequent and severe. Youth violence can be perpetrated collectively by groups or gangs, or committed by individuals. Similarly, the victims of youth violence can be groups or gangs of youth, or individual youth. The most common victims of youth violence are: peers, including girlfriends, boyfriends and other young people; family members, including siblings and parents; and members of ethnocultural groups or sexual minorities (homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals). Victimization has been linked to the increased use of drugs and alcohol, eating disorders, tobacco use and mental health problems. Experiencing abuse can cause low self-esteem and other emotional problems, which in turn can result in difficulties in academic performance, in the work force, and in personal relationships. Experiencing violence early in life can set a pattern which extends throughout an individual’s life. Young women who have experienced abuse during childhood or adolescence may direct the resulting pain inward, developing various forms of self-destructive behaviour, such as self-mutilation and eating disorders. Young men who have experienced abuse during childhood or adolescence may express this pain outward, being violent toward others. Many of the youth who are violent also engage in self-destructive actions, such as suicide attempts. Forms of Youth Violence Emotional abuse includes insulting or ridiculing someone or subjecting that person to other forms of verbal humiliation; threatening to use physical violence or murder; throwing, smashing, kicking or destroying the property of others; stalking and monitoring another’s activities; displaying jealousy or possessiveness; and sexist, racist and homophobic verbal abuse. Such abuse is used to control other people’s behaviour and place limits on their freedom. Of all the forms of youth violence, emotional abuse is the most common. Physical abuse includes pushing, grabbing, shoving, slapping, kicking, punching, hitting with an object, choking, using or threatening to use a weapon against someone, and murder. These assaults may cause both physical and emotional harm. Sexual abuse includes any unwanted coercive sexual contact, usually as a result of verbal pressure, threats of physical force, or actual physical force. These forms of violent behaviour can cause physical and emotional harm. It is primarily young men who perpetrate sexual violence on female peers, siblings and, in a minority of cases, other young men or boys. Victims typically are forced to perform sexual acts against their will and suffer pain or injury in the process. How Widespread Is The Problem? For many reasons, it is difficult to attain an accurate picture of the extent of youth violence in Canada. First, there is no consensus on the definition of "youth violence." There has been a tendency to rely primarily on official crime statistics when defining the issue. But these statistics usually account only for crime that is reported to the police and only when a charge is laid under the Criminal Code. Youth and Violence continued...
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