NCJ Number
20412
Date Published
1976
Length
221 pages
Annotation
SELF-REPORTED DATA POLICE ARREST RECORDS ARE USED TO ANALYZE BACKGROUND VARIABLES OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS, AS WELL AS ARREST AND PROSECUTION CRITERIA.
Abstract
DATA ARE COLLECTED FROM 399 ADOLESCENTS BETWEEN 15 AND 18 YEARS OF AGE LIVING IN A MEDIUM-SIZED SUBURBAN TOWN IN BELGIUM. THIRTY-FIVE PERCENT ARE CHILDREN OF FOREIGN GUEST WORKERS. RESULTS INDICATE NO CORRELATION BETWEEN QUANTITY OF OFFENSES AND SOCIAL CLASS. HOWEVER, AGGRESSIVE OFFENSES APPEAR TO BE RESTRICTED TO THE LOWEST CLASSES, WHILE THE MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASSES SCORE HIGH ON PROPERTY OFFENSES. FOREIGN YOUTHS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS CRIMINAL OFFENSES THAN BELGIAN YOUTHS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT BAD RELATIONSHIPS WITH KEY FIGURES(PARENTS, TEACHER, BOSS) CORRELATES WITH DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THESE FAILING RELATIONSHIPS APPEAR NOT TO BE COMPENSATED BY CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHERS. HOWEVER, DELINQUENT YOUTHS TEND TO HAVE DELINQUENT FRIENDS. ONLY 13 PERCENT OF ALL REPORTED OFFENSES WERE KNOWN BY THE POLICE. DETECTED AND UNDETECTED SELF-REPORTERS DO NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY WITH RESPECT TO BACKGROUND VARIABLES. DETECTION APPEARS TO INCREASE WITH THE FREQUENCY AND GRAVITY OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. DECISION TO PROSECUTE APPEARS TO BE BASED ON SIMILAR GROUNDS, INCLUDING GENDER, ETHNIC ORIGIN, SOCIAL CLASS, AND BROKEN HOME SITUATION. --IN DUTCH...BDS