Youth crime is a growing epidemic that affects most teenagers at some point in their lives. There is no doubt in society that young people are committing crimes. It has been shown that from 1986 to 1998 violent crimes committed by young people increased by approximately 120% (CITE). The most contentious debate in Canadian history would have to be over the Young Offenders Act (YOA). In 1982, Parliament passed the Young Offenders Act (YOA). In force since 1984, the Young Offenders Act replaced the more recent version of the Juvenile Delinquents Act (JDA). The aim of the Young Offenders Act was to move from a social welfare approach to making young people take responsibility for their actions. It also addressed concerns that the paternalistic treatment of children under the JDA did not comply with Canadian Human Rights Legislation (Mapleleaf). The debate remained heated until new legislation passed the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Some thought a complete overhaul was needed, others thought small changes would suffice, and still others thought the Young Offenders Act was best left unchanged. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In February 2002, the House of Commons passed the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). The Act came into force in April 2003, replacing the Young Offenders Act. The new legislation attempts to balance the legalistic framework of the Young Offenders Act and the social needs approach underlying the Juvenile Delinquents Act. As you read the YCJA, you will find that it applies to children between the ages of twelve and seventeen (Justice Canada , 2003). Some argue that this age is too high or too low to make children criminally responsible for their actions. Even in the 1800s, children were treated like adults. This was often done around the age of twelve. Whenever children disobeyed their parents or the law they were often punished at the adult level. This is also true today, where the YCJA applies to children ages twelve to seventeen. To delve deeper into the topic, modern research has shown that children under the age of 18 have not yet fully reached brain maturity and should not be held responsible for their crimes. Much of the YCJA is due to the fact that it provides a “second chance” to children, as they do not fully understand the consequences and procedures they face after committing a crime. This research has also shown that people do not fully develop their brains until the age of nineteen to twenty, which is also when the YCJA no longer applies to children. The age to which the YCJA applies is appropriate and gives young people a second chance to understand what they did wrong.