NCJ Number
44455
Date Published
1975
Length
33 pages
Annotation
THIS NEW ZEALAND STUDY OF 5,472 BOYS PICKED AT RANDOM FROM BOYS BORN IN 1957 FINDS A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, RACE, AND JUVENILE OFFENSES.
Abstract
THE FACT THAT MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY BOYS APPEAR IN CHILDREN'S COURT FROM THE NATIVE MAORI POPULATION AS FROM THE EUROPEAN POPULATION WAS INVESTIGATED AS PART OF A LONGER LONGITUDINAL STUDY. THE BOYS WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO RACE AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND, IN ADDITION TO OTHER FACTORS, AND WERE FOLLOWED FOR 7 YEARS TO DOCUMENT JUVENILE OFFENSE HISTORY. THE MATHEMATICAL METHODS USED TO CALCULATE RISK AND THE MULTIVARIANT ANALYSIS EMPLOYED ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. FINDINGS INCLUDE: (1) FOR NEARLY EVERY SOCIOECONOMIC CATEGORY, THE RISK OF A NON-EUROPEAN CHILD COMMITTING A JUVENILE OFFENSE IS HIGHER THAN A EUROPEAN; AND (2) AS SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DECREASES, RISK OF OFFENDING INCREASES. THESE TWO VARIABLES WERE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN FAMILY STRUCTURE, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, OR ANY OF THE OTHER MEASURED VARIABLES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT SINCE MOST OF THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY NON-EUROPEANS WERE PROPERTY CRIMES AND SINCE MOST NON-EUROPEANS WERE FROM POLYNESIAN BACKGROUNDS, A CULTURAL CONFLICT IS BEING MEASURED. POLYNESIAN CULTURES HAVE A VERY RELAXED ATTITUDE TOWARD PERSONAL PROPERTY WHILE THE LAW IS BASED ON EUROPEAN CULTURAL VIEWS OF PROPERTY. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE SOCIAL DISLOCATION CAUSED BY URBANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE. THIS DISLOCATION PARTICULARLY AFFECTS THE POLYNESIAN CULTURES AND THE CHILDREN HAVE TROUBLE ADAPTING TO THE EUROPEAN URBAN ENVIRONMENT. (GLR)