NCJ Number
78588
Date Published
Unknown
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Crimes specific to urban areas are described, especially collective and organized crime and violence in rapidly developing Latin American cities.
Abstract
Anonymity, impersonality, and ease of escape for criminals after a crime favor crime in urban settings. Acculturation problems for new immigrants from the country, conspicuous display of material wealth (which incites the unsophisticated poor to pursue riches regardless of means employed to obtain them), and the accessibility of unlawful pleasures (drugs, gambling, prostitution) are among the causes of urban crime. Individual and collective crime (the latter comprising organized and nonorganized criminal groups) take unique forms in urban areas. Heavy concentrations of people easily become mobs, whose collective psychology is different from that of the individual participants and is easily incited to violent acts. Collective crime groups include the syndicate and other organized groups. Juvenile delinquency flourishes in urban areas because young people are even more vulnerable than adults to the socioeconomic and cultural influences of urban centers and face the danger of drifting into youth subcultures when they fail to adapt to the environment. Criminal behavior is only understandable in social contexts and is a type of negative reaction of individuals to their societies. New forms of violence are perpetrated by political groups, movements, and institutions. Traditional crimes continue, especially the corruption of public officials which is endemic to Latin America, kidnappings, hijackings, blackmail for political purposes, and white-collar crimes not covered by the existing criminal laws which cover stock manipulation, foreign currency traffic, tax evasion, etc. No bibliography is appended.