Academic literature on the topic 'Juvenile delinquents – Québec (Province) – Montréal'

A description and analysis of the outcomes of an experiment with Kohlberg's Just Community Approach in the development of moral judgements of francophone delinquents is examined. Data were collected from 12 adolescents ranging in age from 17 to 18 years and from 8 adult educators involved in the Just Community Program at Boscoville Center (Montreal, Qc.) which was implemented between October 1987-October 1988.<br>Kohlberg's Structural Issue Moral Judgement Interview and several questionnaires were administered and journals kept by the educators and the researcher. Analysis of these data allowed us to describe how the program was implemented and showed that the intervention appreciably increased the stage of moral judgement of participants and improved the "moral atmosphere" of the program. In comparison to previous evaluations of the Just Community Approach, this program had more impact on these outcomes. It is suggested that the effects of the program could be strengthened by more intensive training of educators.

There is an ongoing and polarizing discourse with respect to the impartiality of the criminal justice system in its transactions with visible minority populations. Much of the controversy centers on the cause of the controversy centers disproportionate number of minority youth cases in North America and the U.K. criminal justice systems. In Canada, there is a dearth of research into the overrepresentation of Black youths in the Young Offender System. An examination of Montreal's Young Offender court records from 1992--1998 (n = 1714) reveals that race is a strong predictor of charge (p < .05) and disposition (p < .0001), controlling for age, language and birthplace. The study further finds that Black youth are charged with more violent offenses and receive more restrictive dispositions. Impact and implications for youth, the criminal justice system and social work are discussed. Further research including socioeconomic factors and prior history is recommended.

This study explores ethnic identity and ethnic culture and the role they play in the lives of young men in gangs. Fifty male youths between the ages of 14 and 20 were interviewed. These youths were of French (10), Haitian (10), Jamaican (10), and Latino (10) ethnicity. Ten youths from a variety of other ethnic backgrounds were also interviewed. All youths were confined in maximum-security detention centers in Montreal, Canada. Participatory observation of males who were full-fledged gang members or affiliated with gang members was conducted at these centers. Analysis for this dissertation was conducted following the Birmingham School perspective and Herbert Gans's theory of symbolic ethnicity. The Birmingham School perspective is used to explore symbolic meaning behind specific styles [i.e. hairstyles, image, demeanor] and the degree to which they are interrelated with these young men's ethnic culture and ethnic identity, and how these various styles are signifiers of resistance or belonging. Herbert Gans's conception of symbolic ethnicity is used to explore ethno-cultural identity and its meaning in gang life. The research shows that these gangs (the French, Haitian, Jamaican, Latino, and youths from a variety of other ethnic backgrounds) are organized along racial and ethnic lines. Latinos were most likely to explicitly identify preservation of ethnic identity and ethnic culture as important components of gang life. This research is exploratory and identifies important issues for further investigation.<br>Key words. youth gangs, delinquency, Montreal, ethnicity, culture, identity, style.