The new YOA is based on four guiding principles: that youthful offenders should be held responsible for their actions, that society has a fundamental right to protect itself from youthful criminal behavior, that youthful offenders require both discipline and special types of guidance and assistance, and that young persons have the same rights and freedoms as adults. The YOA provides for a wide range of dispositions including absolute discharge, fines, restitutions, committal for treatment, open custody, secure custody, compensation, community service, and probation. This booklet discusses issues related to the YOA that impact on Canadian school boards, including admissibility of evidence, cautioning procedures, policies on students, search and seizure, interagency liaison, corporal punishment, and conflicts between federal and provincial legislation regarding the role of schools. 3 appendixes