Ethnic Diversity and Youth Offending: An Examination of Risk and Protective Factors

Abstract

This study examined risk and protective factors for criminal reoffending behaviour among a group of Canadian young people who had committed at least one substantive criminal offence in the past and fell into one of four ethnic groups: (a) Canadian born, parents Canadian born; (b) Aboriginal/Métis; (c) first or second generation immigrant, Caucasian; and (d) first or second generation immigrant, other ethnic background. Risk and protective factors were classified into five domains: individual; family; peer; school; and community. Consistent with previous research, the findings did not reveal many instances where statistically significant differences existed in the presence of risk and protective factors across ethnic groups; however, significant differences that were observed were across a wide range of variables. The implications of the findings within the context of previous research in this area are discussed.

Developmental and Sexual Offense Onset Characteristics of Australian Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Male Youth Who Sexually Offend

“…Furthermore, they found that Canadian Aboriginal offending youth were more likely than non-Aboriginal youth to offend against girls below 12 years old who were known to them (peers or family), and had higher recidivism rates (specifically violent, sexual, and non-sexual reoffending) in their 10-year follow-up. Some of these findings were replicated by Bertrand, MacRae-Krisa, Costello, and Winterdyk (2013), whose examination of risk and protective factors in Canadian offending youth (including those who sexually harmed) identified significant differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians. In that study, Aboriginal youth were more likely to also have experienced foster care, criminal involvement by family members, familial substance abuse, and gangs present within their community.…”

“…Developmental risk factors were identified as those being present in the youth’s history prior to their onset sexual offense. Characteristics were prespecified, selected from known criminological factors associated with violent and antisocial youth (Andrews & Bonta, 2010; Loeber & Farrington, 1999) as well as previously identified characteristics of Indigenous youth who have sexually harmed (Bertrand et al, 2013; Rojas & Gretton, 2007). The impact of these experiences, attitudes, and behaviors on each participant’s individual, social, and academic functioning was considered in determining presence for each risk factor.…”

“…Like Rojas and Gretton (2007) and Bertrand et al (2013), the purpose of the present study is to compare developmental and offense characteristics of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth who have committed sexual offenses in Australia. Drawing on ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), we were particularly interested in the multiple systems within which youth are embedded and that influence their behavior.…”