| Stephen
R. Biss, B.A., LL.B. RETIRED LAWYER |
Sentencing under the Young Offenders Act
Young persons and their parents may be interested in knowing what dispositions are generally imposed under the Young Offenders Act. It is important to realize that most crimes committed by young persons are thefts, possession of stolen property, break and enters, common assaults, and breaches of probation.
The table below shows in blue the number of sentencing dispositions for 12 to 15 year olds made by a Youth Court in the Judicial District of Peel in Ontario with respect to each of the offences listed. The data is sorted from the most frequent offences to the least frequent offences. Percentage shows the number of dispositions for that particular offence divided by the total number of dispositions in the database (9150). It is apparent that most sentencing dispositions relate to property and other non-violent offences. For the most part the young people of Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon are law-abiding and those who are involved in criminal behaviour are rarely violent.
Note that Section refers to the section under the Criminal Code of Canada or other statute. The numbers shown for theft under and possession under are actually lower than they should be since alternative measures cases are not shown and some other shopliftings were left out of the database so as not to distort the sentence prediction capabilities of the database.
Ontario Court (Provincial Division)
Brampton Family Court Youth Court
April 1, 1984 to December 31, 1994
| SECTION | OFFENCE | NUMBER | PERCENTAGE |
| 334(b) | THEFT UNDER $200 (OR $1000) | 2172 | 0.24 |
| 355(b) | POSSESSION UNDER $200 ($1000) | 707 | 0.08 |
| 348(1)(b) | BREAK & ENTER DWELLING HOUSE & I OFFENCE | 607 | 0.07 |
| 266 | ASSAULT | 590 | 0.06 |
| Y.O.A.s.26 | WILFUL FAILURE TO COMPLY W/DISPOSITION | 462 | 0.05 |
| 348(1)(b) | BREAK & ENTER NON-DWEL HOUSE & I OFFENCE | 361 | 0.04 |
| 145 | FAILURE TO APPEAR, BREACH OF RECOG. ETC. | 321 | 0.04 |
| 430(4) | MISCHIEF RE OTHER PROPERTY (UNDER $1000) | 320 | 0.03 |
| 355(a) | POSSESSION OVER $200 (OR $1000) | 272 | 0.03 |
| 334(a) | THEFT OVER $200 (OR $1000) | 249 | 0.03 |
| 335 | TAKE AUTO WITHOUT OWNER'S CONSENT | 246 | 0.03 |
| HABITUALLY ABSENT FROM SCHOOL | 238 | 0.03 | |
| 430(3) | MISCHIEF-PUBLIC PROPERTY (OR OVER $1000) | 231 | 0.03 |
| TRESPASS TO PROPERTY | 182 | 0.02 | |
| HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT OFFENCES | 181 | 0.02 | |
| 087 | POSSESSION OF A WEAPON DANGEROUS | 168 | 0.02 |
| 271(1) | SEXUAL ASSAULT | 154 | 0.02 |
| 267(1)(b) | ASSAULT CAUSING BODILY HARM | 121 | 0.01 |
| 267(1)(a) | ASSAULT WITH A WEAPON | 109 | 0.01 |
| 342 | THEFT,USE,FORGERY OF CREDIT CARD | 98 | 0.01 |
| MINOR CONSUME ALCOHOL | 89 | 0.01 | |
| 463 | ATTEMPTS, ACCESSORIES | 82 | 0.01 |
| 348(1)(a) | BREAK & ENTER DWELLING HOUSE WITH INTENT | 74 | 0.01 |
| 264.1(1)(a) | THREATENING DEATH OR BODILY HARM | 64 | 0.01 |
| 348(1)(a) | BREAK & ENTER NON-DWEL HOUSE WITH INTENT | 63 | 0.01 |
| POSSESSION OF NARCOTIC - CANNABIS SATIVA | 56 | 0.01 | |
| 380(1)(b) | FRAUD UNDER $200 (OR $1000) | 49 | 0.01 |
| 463/334 | ATTEMPT THEFT | 49 | 0.01 |
| 344 | ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE | 44 | 0.00 |
| 145(1)(a) | ESCAPE CUSTODY | 44 | 0.00 |
| 140 | PUBLIC MISCHIEF | 43 | 0.00 |
| TORONTO AREA TRANSIT ACT | 42 | 0.00 | |
| 249(2) | DANGEROUS DRIVING (OPERATION) | 41 | 0.00 |
| 252(1) | FAILURE TO STOP AT SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT | 40 | 0.00 |
| 090(1) | POSSESSION OF A PROHIBITED WEAPON | 37 | 0.00 |
| POA 75(d) | FAIL TO COMPLY PROB'N (PROV. OFFENCES) | 35 | 0.00 |
| 351(1) | POSSESSION OF HOUSEBREAKING INSTRUMENTS | 30 | 0.00 |
| 344 | ROBBERY: ASSAULT WITH INTENT TO STEAL | 26 | 0.00 |
| 89 | CARRYING CONCEALED WEAPON | 26 | 0.00 |
| 086(2) | CARELESS USE OF FIREARM | 26 | 0.00 |
| 270(2) | ASSAULTING A PEACE OFFICER | 23 | 0.00 |
| 368(1) | UTTERING, USING A FORGERY | 22 | 0.00 |
| 139(2) | OBSTRUCT JUSTICE | 21 | 0.00 |
| 129 | OBSTRUCT A PEACE OFFICER | 21 | 0.00 |
| 437 | FALSE ALARM OF FIRE | 20 | 0.00 |
| 434 | SETTING FIRE TO OTHER SUBSTANCE | 18 | 0.00 |
| 089 | CARRYING CONCEALED WEAPON | 14 | 0.00 |
| 344 | ROBBERY (ARMED) | 14 | 0.00 |
| 175(1) | CAUSE A DISTURBANCE | 14 | 0.00 |
| 463/344 | ATTEMPT ROBBERY | 12 | 0.00 |
| 279(2) | FORCIBLE CONFINEMENT | 11 | 0.00 |
| 151 | SEXUAL INTERFERENCE | 10 | 0.00 |
| 380(1)(a) | FRAUD OVER $200 (OR $1000) | 10 | 0.00 |
| 349(1) | BEING UNLAWFULLY IN A DWELLING HOUSE | 10 | 0.00 |
| 173 | INDECENT ACT | 10 | 0.00 |
| 393(3) | TRANSPORTATION FRAUD | 9 | 0.00 |
| 372(2)or(3) | INDECENT/HARASSING TELEPHONE CALLS | 9 | 0.00 |
| 091(1) | POSSESSION OF A RESTRICTED WEAPON | 9 | 0.00 |
| NCA 5(1) | IMPORTING OR EXPORTING NARCOTIC | 8 | 0.00 |
| 264.1(1)(bc | THREATENING DAMAGE TO PRPERTY OR ANIMAL | 8 | 0.00 |
| 346(1) | EXTORTION | 8 | 0.00 |
| 465 | CONSPIRACY | 7 | 0.00 |
| 433(1) | ARSON | 7 | 0.00 |
| 430(2) | MISCHIEF ENDANGERING LIFE | 6 | 0.00 |
| 356(1)(a) | THEFT FROM MAIL | 6 | 0.00 |
| CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE IN OPER. OF MOT. VEH | 6 | 0.00 | |
| 6 | 0.00 | ||
| 272(d) | SEXUAL ASSAULT: PARTIES | 5 | 0.00 |
| 152 | INVITATION TO SEXUAL TOUCHING | 4 | 0.00 |
| 403 | PERSONATION | 4 | 0.00 |
| 085(1) | USE OF FIREARM DURING AN OFFENCE | 4 | 0.00 |
| LLA s.45(4) | INTOXICATED IN PUBLIC PLACE | 3 | 0.00 |
| WILFUL DAMAGE UNDER $50 | 3 | 0.00 | |
| 268(2) | AGGRAVATED ASSAULT | 3 | 0.00 |
| 221 | CAUSING BODILY HARM BY CRIMINAL NEG. | 3 | 0.00 |
| 145(1)(b) | UNLAWFULLY AT LARGE | 3 | 0.00 |
| INDECENT ASSAULT ON FEMALE | 3 | 0.00 | |
| 086(1) | POINT FIREARM | 3 | 0.00 |
| CAIA2(1)(a) | DRIVE WITH NO INSURANCE | 2 | 0.00 |
| Aero s.7 | REGULATION UNDER AERONAUTICS ACT | 2 | 0.00 |
| POSS'N FOR PURPOSE - CANNABIS SATIVA | 2 | 0.00 | |
| FDA s.47(1) | POSSESSION OF RESTRICTED DRUG | 2 | 0.00 |
| 367(1) | FORGERY | 2 | 0.00 |
| 362(2)(a) | FALSE PRETENCES OVER $200 (OR $1000) | 2 | 0.00 |
| 326(1)334(b | THEFT OF ELECTRICITY,GAS,TELECOMMUNICATN | 2 | 0.00 |
| 272(a) | SEXUAL ASSAULT WITH A WEAPON | 2 | 0.00 |
| 269 | UNLAWFULLY CAUSING BODILY HARM | 2 | 0.00 |
| 236 | MANSLAUGHTER | 2 | 0.00 |
| 145(1)(b) | BEING UNLAWFULLY AT LARGE | 2 | 0.00 |
| 132 | PERJURY | 2 | 0.00 |
| GAME AND FISH ACT | 1 | 0.00 | |
| 372(1) | FALSE MESSAGES | 1 | 0.00 |
| 249(3) | DANGEROUS OPERATION CAUSING BODILY HARM | 1 | 0.00 |
| AIRPORT TRAFFIC OFFENCES | 1 | 0.00 | |
| AirCarrS 23 | FALSE DECL'N WEAPON ETC. AIR CARRIER Reg | 1 | 0.00 |
| 177 | TRESPASS AT NIGHT | 1 | 0.00 |
| 97(3) | ACQUIRE FIREARM WITHOUT CERTIFICATE | 1 | 0.00 |
| NCA 4(2) | TRAFFICKING - HEROIN, OPIUM POPPY | 1 | 0.00 |
| 445(a) | KILL/INJURE ANIMAL | 1 | 0.00 |
| 423 | INTIMIDATION | 1 | 0.00 |
| 362(2)(b) | FALSE PRETENCES UNDER $200 (OR $1000) | 1 | 0.00 |
| 351(2) | DISGUISE W/INTENT (BEING MASKED) | 1 | 0.00 |
| 352 | POSS'N OF COINBOX BREAKING INSTRUMENTS | 1 | 0.00 |
| 279 | KIDNAPPING | 1 | 0.00 |
| 253(a) | IMPAIRED DRIVING (OPERATION) | 1 | 0.00 |
| 244 | DISCHARGE OF FIREARM, WITH INTENT | 1 | 0.00 |
| 212(1) | PROCURING TO HAVE ILLICIT SEX INTERCOURS | 1 | 0.00 |
| GROSS INDECENCY | 1 | 0.00 | |
| 160 | BEASTIALITY | 1 | 0.00 |
| 082 | POSSESSING EXPLOSIVE | 1 | 0.00 |
| 9150 |