Direct and Indirect Impacts of Organized Crime on Youth, as Offenders and Victims

• NCJ Number: 205731
• Author(s): Holly Richter-White M.A.
• Date Published: March 2003
• Length: 52 pages
• Sale Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Downloaded on June 10, 2004.

Annotation

This report presents an analysis of organized crime and youth in Canada, specifically the current state of research, the direct and indirect impacts of organized crime and youth, and vulnerable youth populations.

Abstract

The impacts of criminal activity, specifically organized crime have not yet been assessed in Canada. The linkage between organized criminal groups to youth has been as offenders and not necessarily as victims. Through a qualitative and quantitative analysis, this report attempts to demonstrate the scope of the impacts of organized crime on youth, both as offenders and victims. The majority of the report focuses on the existing literature that examines the direct and indirect impacts of organized crime on youth, both locally and internationally. It discusses the difficulties in examining organized crime, due to the difficulty in defining organized crime. The report also examines public and police perceptions of organized crime. The impact of organized crime on youth is broad and direct, as well as indirect. One of the major impacts of organized crime on youth is their recruitment into criminal activity. The issues explored for their possible impact on youth include: drugs, alcohol, tobacco, vehicle theft, terrorism, human smuggling and child sexual exploitation, youth gangs, gambling, fraud, corporate organized crime, money laundering, the Internet, computers and software, corporate organized crime, perception of organized crime, police resource allocation, and vulnerable youth populations. However, research on organized crime is difficult due to the lack of a universal definition of organized crime and the non-scientific methods used to obtain data. Several areas were recommended for future research and policy. It is recommended that ethnography could help to illuminate some of the impacts. In addition, new policy is seen as needed for internal and external communication of the local impacts of organized crime, data entry, and police resources related to business lines and supply and demand reduction. References