| Due to the apparent recent increase in violent young offending in Canada and the United States, the public has once again begun to ask questions about the roots and causes of serious and violent youthful offending, and what official and non-official interventions and remedies exist to reduce and prevent juvenile violence. This paper reports on the preliminary finding of a three-year research project examining 400 serious and violent incarcerated male and female youth in Vancouver, British Columbia between 1998-2000. Through the use of semi-structured interviews with incarcerated youth, and a detailed analysis of their official files, the researchers attempt to identify the main pathways that lead to serious and violent youthful offending and the role of several interventions, including incarceration. The main variables used in order to establish these different pathways include: demographics; criminal history; self-identity; family, work, and school bonds; drug and alcohol abuse; physical and sexual abuse; peers; and mental health. |
Updated 05/20/2006