Feb
Meet the Outreach Team! – Talking About Youth Crime with Taylore Saban
Did you know that youth crime in Calgary showed a 6% increase over the five-year average? You may have seen some alarming headlines about youth criminal activity and violent crimes over the recent months, but YouthLink’s Outreach Educator Taylore Saban is here to tell you more about what these statistics mean, why youth get involved in crime, and how we can work together as a community to support young offenders.
“I don’t think a lot of parents, teachers, adults, or government agencies understand the real reasons that youth get involved in crime,” explains Taylore. “And it’s because there’s gaps in their life. They need more support. They need healthy outlets.”
There are many misunderstandings about why youth commit crimes and how they’re tried in a court of law that Taylore seeks to debunk in her presentation. “People may not understand the intricacies of the judicial system and sentencing,” says Taylore. “They see young offenders just getting away with crime and dangerous behavior. And I think there’s a lot of misconception in how young offenders are dealt with before the courts.”
With an extensive professional background working in group homes around Calgary and as a criminal court clerk, Taylore worked together with CPS’s Youth at Risk Development (YARD) team to create a program that seeks to educate youth and adults alike about the judicial processes related to youth crime, the fundamentals of Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act, and the different supports youth and young offenders can access.
“Youth tend to get involved in crime because they are seeking something, whether they need more money or they need connection and support that they aren’t finding in family or friends,” she explains. “These are all areas that can easily be filled with legal and healthy supports.”
YouthLink’s Community Outreach programs, including Youth Crime, are available to book through our website. All our programming is created in conjunction with specialists through CPS to ensure accurate and up-to-date information. We have presentations for various age groups, ranging from youth to seniors.
For more information about how to book, visit our Outreach page.
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