NCJ Number
59612
Editor(s)
P R WILSON
Date Published
1977
Length
280 pages
Annotation
TRENDS IN DELINQUENCY, THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS, PATTERNS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, AND NEW COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS FOR JUVENILES ARE DISCUSSED FOR AUSTRALIA.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IS HAMPERED BY AN ABSENCE OF RELIABLE NATIONAL STATISTICS, DELINQUENCY RATES ARE EXAMINED FROM TWO STUDIES CONDUCTED IN NEW SOUTH WALES ON MALE DELINQUENTS, INCLUDING AN ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN'S COURT DISPOSITIONAL TRENDS. THE KINDS OF DATA MOST OFTEN USED IN SUCH RESEARCH--OFFICIAL, SELF-REPORT, AND PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION--ARE ASSESSED. THE PROCESS OF FORMULATING POLICY FROM RESEARCH FINDINGS IS ALSO OUTLINED. MOREOVER, MAJOR THEORIES EXPLAINING THE CAUSES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ARE PRESENTED, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THEIR APPLICATION TO AUSTRALIAN DATA ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. FACTORS IN THE AUSTRALIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM BELIEVED TO CONTRIBUTE TO TRUANCY ARE IDENTIFIED, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR REFORM ARE OFFERED. ADDITIONALLY, PATTERNS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE DISCUSSED, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON CAR STEALING, GANG RAPE, ADOLESCENT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE, AND FEMALE DELINQUENCY. THE BASIC PHILOSOPHY UNDERLYING RECENT JUVENILE JUSTICE LEGISLATION IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA IS PRESENTED, FOLLOWED BY DESCRIPTIONS OF PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE LEGISLATION. THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF JUVENILE COMMUNITY TREATMENT UNITS IN THE STATE OF VICTORIA ARE ALSO DESCRIBED, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THEIR IMPROVEMENT ARE OFFERED. A GENERAL OVERVIEW AND CRITIQUE OF APPROACHES TO THE HANDLING OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN AUSTRALIA IMPLIES THAT THE RATE AND SERIOUSNESS OF DELINQUENCY, VIEWED AS INCREASING BY THE PUBLIC, IS WITHOUT BASIS IN ANY RELIABLE STATISTICS. OVERREACTION TO SUPPOSED INCREASES IN DELINQUENCY ARE RESULTING IN MORE RIGID LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES AND A TREND TOWARD REHABILITATIVE MODELS OF INTERVENTION THAT COERCE JUVENILES INTO INDETERMINATE PERIODS OF STATE SUPERVISION. VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS OF TREATMENT ARE RECOMMENDED FOR YOUTH WHO DO NOT POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE COMMUNITY. REFERENCES ARE LISTED AND APPROPRIATE TABULAR DATA PROVIDED FOR MOST OF THE ARTICLES. (RCB)