NCJ Number
68774
Date Published
1979
Length
230 pages
Annotation
AN ANALYSIS OF JUVENILE CRIME IN EASTERN EUROPE AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF JUVENILE CRIME TO SOCIAL FACTORS IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
DESPITE STATEMENTS OF COMMUNIST THEORETICIANS, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, ESPECIALLY IN THE FORM OF THEFTS OR AGGRESSIVE ACTS COMMITTED BY GANGS, HAS BEEN AS GREAT A PROBLEM IN COMMUNIST AS IN CAPITALIST COUNTRIES. HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL EXTENT OF JUVENILE CRIME IN EASTERN COUNTRIES IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE BECAUSE OF THE UNRELIABILTY OR NONEXISTENCE OF STATISTICS. TOPICS TREATED INCLUDE IDEOLOGICAL ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME, THE ROOTS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IN THE POPULATION'S GENERAL DISSATISFACTION WITH SHORTAGES OF GOODS AND HIGH-QUALITY MERCHANDISE, QUESTIONS ABOUT REAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CAPITALISM AND COMMUNISM IN THE CRIMINAL CONTEXT, THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE ON CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND THE RENAISSANCE OF JUVENILE PSYCHOLOGY TO FACILITATE INTERPRETATION OF CRIME CAUSES. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONSIDERED ESPECIALLY RELEVANT TO EASTERN EUROPEAN JUVENILE CRIME ARE SCHOLASTIC FAILURE, REFUSAL OF YOUTHS TO STUDY OR WORK UNDER LESS THAN OPTIMAL CONDITIONS, AND EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. AS IN WESTERN COUNTRIES, VARIOUS TYPES OF THEFT AND VIOLENT CRIMES ARE THE MOST COMMON OFFENSES. JUVENILE CRIME CONTROL IS EFFECTED THROUGH INTENSIFIED EDUCATION ABOUT LAWS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS, AS WELL AS BY JUVENILE IMPRISONMENT IN SPECIAL YOUTH TRAINING FACILITIES. OTHER PREVENTIVE EFFORTS INCLUDE ARRANGEMENTS FOR JUVENILES NEGLECTED BY THEIR PARENTS, SOCIAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, AND GOVERNMENTSPONSORED YOUTH GROUPS. RISING JUVENILE RECIDIVISM RATES HAVE BECOME A PRESSING PROBLEM. TABLES AND EXTENSIVE NOTES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN GERMAN.