Notes

Youth criminal behaviour is a major concern for most societies, specifically when it comes to how youth are treated within the justice system.Note 1 For example, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a framework for the treatment of accused under age 18, stipulating that states recognize the rights of children accused of crimes to be “treated in a manner ... which takes into account the child’s age and the desirability of promoting the child’s reintegration and the child’s assuming a constructive role in society” (United Nations 1989). In addition, crime prevention initiatives often focus on young people with the hope that programs will have long-term impacts on crime reduction. Research internationally and over time has shown that youth are more likely to be accused of crime than adults (Ullmer and Steffensmeier 2014). Moreover, research has shown that the majority of adult offenders committed their first criminal acts as youth, and only a minority of offenders commit crime for the first time as adults (Farrington et al. 2012; Piquero et. al. 2012).