NCJ Number
68528
Journal
Kriminologisches Journal Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (1979) Pages: 241-260
Date Published
1979
Length
20 pages
Annotation
ANALYSIS OF WEST GERMAN JUVENILE OFFICE RECORDS INDICATES THAT OFFICIAL CONTROL HAS INTENSIFIED IN THE LAST TWO DECADES WITH A SHIFT IN EMPHASIS FROM PUNITIVE REPRESSION TO PEDAGOGICAL THERAPY.
Abstract
DATA DERIVE FROM RECORDS OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 200 JUVENILES, 100 BORN IN 1947 AND 100 IN 1960. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SOCIAL CONTROLS ARE MORE PUNITIVE FOR GIRLS WHO DEVIATE FROM EXPECTED SEX ROLES AND FOR CHILDREN OF THE LOWER CLASSES THAN FOR CONFORMIST FEMALES AND MIDDLE-CLASS CHILDREN. OVER THE 13-YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN THE TEST GROUPS, HOWEVER, SOCIAL CONTROLS FOR MARGINAL GROUPS HAVE BECOME MORE DIFFERENTIATED AND INTERVENTION FOR UPPER-CLASS AND MIDDLE-CLASS YOUNGSTERS MORE FREQUENT THAN PREVIOUSLY. SOCIAL WORKERS ARE OFTEN PLACED IN THE POSITION OF THERAPISTS; BECAUSE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ASSISTANCE RESOURCES, CERTAIN LIVING AREAS AND FAMILIES ARE SINGLED OUT. FROM 1947 TO 1960, THE NUMBER OF NEIGHBORS REPORTING INCIDENTS TO THE JUVENILE AUTHORITIES INCREASES, AS DOES THE NUMBER OF FAMILY PROBLEMS REPORTED AS GROUNDS FOR INTERVENTION. THE FAMILY ORIENTATION IN PROBLEM SELECTION HAS RESULTED IN A LOWER BEHAVIOR TOLERANCE AND A LOWER AGE FOR FIRST INTERVENTION. THE CONCENTRATION OF PROBLEM FAMILIES IN CERTAIN CITY AREAS HAS BECOME MORE MARKED IN RECENT YEARS. BOTH THE EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL CONTEXT AND THE REORGANIZATION OF SOCIAL SERVICES HAVE FACILITATED OSTENSIBLY PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION IN THE FORM OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE. REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF INTERVENTION, HOWEVER, EARLY RECOGNITION APPEARS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CRIMINAL CAREERS RATHER THAN TO PREVENT THEM. THEREFORE, INTENSIFIED CONTROL AND EXCESSIVE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL PLANNING ON CONTROL ORGANIZATION ARE TO BE AVOIDED. REFERENCES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND DATA TABLES ARE SUPPLIED. -- IN GERMAN.