NCJ Number
174690
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 11 Issue: 2-3 Dated: December 1998 Pages: 243-253
Date Published
1998
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Changes in juvenile delinquency in Hungary and Poland in the 1990s were compared with trends in the United States, with emphasis on the relationship between increasing juvenile delinquency and changes in family life and the educational system.
Abstract
The research sought to determine whether countries in transition to democracy and an economic system similar to that in the United States would experience similar social problems, particularly juvenile delinquency. The analysis used data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United Nations World Crime Survey, Interpol, and country statistical yearbooks. Results revealed that Hungary and Poland are experiencing their own forms of social disorganization that are contributing to increasing rates of juvenile delinquency. In addition, traditional socializing institutions such as the family and the educational system are dominated by economic demands and are therefore unable to function properly as social control mechanisms. Findings suggest that countries in central Eastern Europe can learn useful lessons from the United States and should not ignore features of the United States version of democratic capitalism that create conditions conducive to juvenile delinquency. Figures, footnotes, and 29 references (Author abstract modified)