Aboriginal Youth in Corrections in Canada

Aboriginal Youth in Corrections in Canada

Thesis Statement

“The suicidal rates are higher in aboriginal youth in Canada due to their Loss of Cultural Continuity and Identity. Therefore, the correctional measures should consider the attitude of aboriginal youth towards their culture and positive youth development programs.”

Introduction

The rate of suicidal attempts in adolescents of Canada is significantly different between Aboriginals and non-aboriginal young people. According to the studies, it has been studied that Aboriginals in Canada have been suffering from one of the highest suicidal rate in the whole world. 1 out of every third death in Canada is the result of suicidal attempt. According to the Canadian Government Royal Commission Report in 1995, the rates for suicide were underestimated because of some issues related reporting and data collection. According to that report, the rate of suicide was regarded as higher than the suggested existing data, the commission made the estimation that rates of suicide throughout groups of all ages of Aboriginal people were around three times higher on average against the suicide rate in non-aboriginal people (Howard, 2010). Young adults and adolescents were highly vulnerable to this risk of suicidal attempts. The rate of suicidal attempts was 3.3 times the national average for Indians who were registered and 3.9 times for Inuit. Among aboriginals from age between 19-19 years, the rate of suicidal attempt was 5 to 6 times higher as compared to the rate among their non-Aboriginals peers (Conrad, 2008).

The suicidal behavior among aboriginal people in Canada is raised due to their cultural influence. They have a feeling as if their cultural identity is lost. In this paper we will study the effect of culture on the suicidal behavior of Aboriginals in Canada. Moreover, this paper will discuss the correctional measures that will be useful to prevent aboriginals in Canada from risk of suicidal attempts.

Discussion

Culture

Differences in culture most of the time set the aboriginal youth apart from their peer who belong to non-Aborigine. At time, this causes misunderstandings with devastating outcomes. The problem of lost cultural identity and cultural continuity are woven together with complexity. So as to appraise their effect on positive development of youth it is necessary to have understanding of how the culture places its effect on people. According to studies, it has been fund that we as humans contain an innate drive for the creation of meaning and it the culture in which we take part and this provides us the experience. Those experiences construct our world and our meanings and these meanings develop our individual as well as our cultural identity. We look for associations with the use of language for the creation of meanings in our lives. The pre-linguistic eagerness in humans being develop the ability to learn a language and it develops the associations with the use of symbols that help us in the development of our world (Howard, 2010).

It is important for everyone to take part in the cultural happenings so as to develop relationships and thus they ...