Reports have increased slightly this year according to data from the most recent report from the Department of Youth Protection (DYP)which recorded more than 135,800 processed reports for 2022-2023.
This would thus be equivalent to a 2.5% increase in reports, specifies the assessment shared by the DPJ on Tuesday.
“This is good news because it shows that the population of Quebec maintains its confidence in the youth protection system and does not hesitate to report problems. But it is also bad news, as it indicates that child abuse remains a societal problem,” the report reads.
However, retained reports, which stand at 42,773 for 2022-2023, would have seen a drop of 2%, the statement continued.
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The most frequent problems are physical violence (22.4%), neglect (22.7%) and psychological abuse (18%).
“In 2021-2022, negligence, combined with a serious risk of negligence, remains the main reason for withholding a report (33.6%)”, states the report.
At the same time, 8,554 adolescent offenders, who allegedly committed various offences, received social reintegration services under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (LSJPA). This would correspond to an increase of 14.5% compared to last year.
“In Quebec, statistics show that youth delinquency has continued to decline over the past few years. However, the population is more and more worried, in particular because of the resurgence of armed violence, often associated with criminal networks”, specifies the DPJ in its report.