Under YCJA, do most youth avoid a criminal record?

• A. Sometimes yes
• B. Yes
• C. Not specified
• D. No

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that the Youth Criminal Justice Act is designed to keep youths out of the criminal-justice system as much as possible. It emphasizes using extrajudicial measures—like warnings, cautions, referrals, or community-based dispositions—for first-time or minor offences. These approaches often do not result in a criminal record. A youth record is more likely to be created only if the case goes to court, the offence is serious, or the youth doesn’t comply with those measures. Because of this focus on avoiding formal records for most youths, the best answer is that most youth do avoid a criminal record under the YCJA.