| Too many of our crimes go unreported | August 17, 1998 |
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During the last few weeks there has been considerable press coverage about crime rates. An article on July 23,1998 read "Violent crime rate drops for sixth year." It quoted David Foot, author of Boom, Bust and Echo, as saying "...the decrease in crime is due in part to the decrease in young people." In a July 27, 1998 Hamilton Spectator article we were told "youths are responsible for crime increase." The Spectator article also quoted Hamilton-Wentworth Police Chief Ken Robertson as suggesting that "...the increase in minor assaults-assaults that produce no serious injuries-is largely due to a new zero tolerance Safe Schools Initiative." We have also been told that violence among adolescent women is increasing. Our experience at Parent Watch in Halton during the past five years has given us a different view of the situation, based on the experiences of parents who have attended. The statistics don't take into account the large number of people who don't report a crime. We are not suggesting that every incident should result in a charge. But we are concerned that the complete picture is not being presented. It is important to try to sort out this issue, especially when you look at how much money goes into dealing with crime. The important point here is statistics help agencies and governments to develop policies and intervention. If crime statistics are hidden then our response to crime will be less effective. In April 1992, a meeting was held in Burlington by the Safe City Action Advisory Committee. At one point during the meeting, someone suggested that the number of young females assaulting each other was increasing. Unfortunately the point was viewed as an exaggeration. Now, several years later, we now know that assaults committed by young females against their own gender and age group have increased dramatically. Did we miss an opportunity to act before the statistics reach current levels? Without a doubt, crime statistics for youth crime are under-reported. Not everyone reports a crime or having been victimized. Part of the problem is that supports and services for victim's rights have lagged behind the services we afford perpetrators. There are many police officers and victims who do not support the charge process because of their frustration with the Young Offenders Act. Consequences handed down in court are often perceived as meaningless and too costly for the results produced. In our work with families and at Parent Watch, we have heard officers discourage people from filing complaints against young offenders because "they will only get a slap on the hand in court." Each year, we refer a number of adolescent females to the Regional Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. An alarming proportion of these young women report being victims of date rape. Yet, for various reasons these victims have chosen not to pursue charges. Therefore these young victims do not show up in the crime statistics and date rape is under-represented in the statistics. The good news here is that in Halton the crown attorney's office has implemented a victim witness support program that provides support, information and court orientation to crime victims who must testify in court. In the course of the school year, we see many students who have been assaulted yet decline to pursue charges. The administration of each school is empowered to deal with perpetrators according to the school's codes of conduct. Another hidden statistic is the number of parents who have been assaulted by their adolescent child. In the majority of cases, the perpetrator is an adolescent male who has assaulted his mother more than once (although fathers and daughters could be affected). Still other parents are threatened with harm or death by their child. There are many reasons why parents do not report their child's behaviour to the police. For some parents, the issue involves guilt or the fear of causing the child to have a criminal record or being perceived as a "bad" parent. This phenomenon, we feel, is extremely under-reported and should deserve the same amount of attention as other under-reported crimes. The bottom line is that we have women living in fear and suffering from abuse from their sons. There are also parents who have vividly described to us how their child has damaged their home and its contents. Again, in most cases parents do not wish to pursue charges. They desperately seek help from anyone who can stop the cycle of violence without charges and, therefore, without affecting the statistics. As professionals, we do not subscribe to the explanation that Zero Tolerance has increased assault statistics. With or without the policy, most schools and their administrators have been holding perpetrators accountable within the parameters of the Young Offenders Act. We believe one explanation to the increase in assault charges is in part an increased level of education and awareness provided to students by school staff, high school liaison officers and community agencies, such as the Halton Rape Crisis Centre. It is also our opinion that assaults in schools are in fact on the increase, which reflects the culture we presently live in. What we all have to remember is that, unless we have an accurate picture of the incidence and nature of crime, we will continue to apply our resources in a mostly reactive way. We must start to deal with the root causes that increase the risk of criminal behaviour. As we review the statistics and proposed community plans for the future, let us acknowledge the hidden statistics when we are formulating directions of service. Money invested in prevention and supported through community-based organizations can reduce levels of crime regardless of what report or study you want to quote. Unfortunately, there are still too many acts of violence that go unreported even with the best efforts to support our children.  Back to the articles menu
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