NCJ Number
159116
Journal
EuroCriminology Volume: 8-9 Dated: special issue (1995) Pages: 95-108
Date Published
1995
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The concept of "foreigner criminality" is controversial, and some German criminologists believe that politics, media coverage, criminal statistics, criminology and criminal justice actually create the problem of foreigner criminality.
Abstract
These criminologists argue that foreigners are no worse than German citizens and feel that such categorization of foreigners should be eliminated. On the other hand, more mainstream criminology contends that legal, social, and economic problems are sometimes associated with the status of foreigners in a society and possibly produce criminality. Crime statistics indicate a higher crime rate among foreigners than German citizens, although official figures alone do not definitively indicate foreigners are involved in crime to more than an average extent. Considering falsification influences on crime statistics, it may be concluded that foreigners are less frequently involved in crime than official figures indicate but that their crime rates are nevertheless higher than comparative rates of the German population. Various groups of foreigners in Germany not only have different crime rates but also quite distinctive offense structures. Causes of foreigner criminality are explored, along with economic and social integration aspects of crime prevention and causes of violence against foreigners in Germany. 59 references and 1 table