Mr. Speaker, today there is widespread concern that our communities are being threatened by youth crime. We should however, divorce perception from reality.
First, we must remember that most youths are law abiding, hard working young people. It is important to recognize that 60 per cent of crimes committed by young people are property crimes. Also, of all violent crimes reported in Canada 86 per cent are committed by adults, not youths.
The Minister of Justice will shortly introduce legislation that will propose specific changes to the Young Offenders Act. Canadians will also be heard by a committee when the legislation undergoes a thorough 10-year review.
The protection of society cannot be achieved solely by amending legislation. It is crucial that we adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to combat the underlying causes of youth crime.
Crime prevention is an important area where our communities can share this responsibility. We must not forget that the home is where most attitudes are first developed.