Data were obtained from two publications by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics: the Uniform Crime Report Survey and the Youth Court Survey. Overall, the number of youths charged with a criminal offense and youth the number of youths processed through the youth court system for criminal offenses decreased from 1992 to 1997. This finding challenges the general media portrayal of youth crime as having increased in Canada over the past 6 years. When violent crimes committed by youth are examined, a slight increase is evident, but this increase is nowhere near the magnitude often being portrayed. Rates of homicide, attempted murder, and abduction by young offenders have remained relatively stable; sexual assault and other sexual offenses decreased; and only robbery and nonsexual assault offenses increased, albeit not significantly. Another finding is that the average age of youth processed through the youth court system has not decreased; it has remained stable at a mean of 15 years old. Also, youth transfers to adult court have neither increased nor decreased; and the seriousness of youth dispositions has increased, contrary to the public's belief that youth are being treated more leniently by the youth justice system. 4 figures and 15 notes