NCJ Number
54118
Journal
BRA (BROTTSFOREBYGGANDE RADET) - APROPA Issue: 3 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1978) Pages: COMPLETE ISSUE
Editor(s)
I VONMOLLER
Date Published
1978
Length
72 pages
Annotation
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN SWEDEN, ITS EXTENT, PREVENTION, CAUSES, AND THE MORAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN RESTRAINING DEVIANT YOUTHS ARE TOPICS CONSIDERED IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF A SWEDISH CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL JOURNAL.
Abstract
SOCIOLOGISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, TEACHERS, AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS INCLUDING A PANEL OF WRITERS, GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF JUVENILE CRIME AND DELINQUENCY. THE GROUP OF PAPERS OPENS WITH A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF JUVENILE CRIME. THE DATA SHOW THAT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 1920 THE YOUTH CRIME RATE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING AT A FASTER RATE THAN THAT FOR ADULTS, AND THE CRIMES OF YOUTH ARE BECOMING MORE SERIOUS. A SLIGHT DROP, HOWEVER, WAS OBSERVED FROM 1974 TO 1976, BUT THE MEANING OF THIS SLUMP IS NOT YET KNOWN. MOST OF THE OFFENSES ARE PROPERTY OR DRUG OFFENSES AND MOST OF THE PERPETRATORS ARE FROM 15 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE. MUCH RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE IN THE AREA OF JUVENILE CRIME IN SWEDEN THAT POINTS TO THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY AS CAUSAL, BUT AN ARTICLE REFUTES THIS RELATIONSHIP AND CONTENDS THAT THE REAL ISSUE LIES IN DISCOVERING WHY PEOPLE FOLLOW NORMS RATHER THAN WHY THEY BREAK THEM. A SOCIETY THAT WANTS ITS YOUTH TO BE LAW ABIDING MUST BE CAREFUL TO BE LAW ABIDING ITSELF. A FOLLOWING ARTICLE SUPPORTS THIS CONCEPT AND URGES THE ADULT POPULATION TO REACT AGAINST CRIMINAL AND DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR IN JUVENILES AND OFFER SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WHEN THEY ACT IN A LAW-ABIDING MANNER. OTHER SELECTIONS DISCUSS JUVENILE CRIME TRENDS THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOLISM AND JUVENILE CRIME, THE EFFECT OF CHANGE IN FAMILY STRUCTURE, THE INDIVIDUAL'S PLACE IN THE WORKING WORLD, AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR EXTENSIVE EDUCATION ON JUVENILE BEHAVIOR AND JUVENILE CRIME. FINALLY, A GROUP OF WRITERS TAKE UP THE SUBJECT OF JUVENILE CRIME AND MODERN SOCIETY. --IN SWEDISH. (DAG)