NCJ Number
53935
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, IS ANALYZED USING EMPLOYMENT AND COURT DATA FOR 1964 THROUGH 1977.
Abstract
IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE VALIDITY OF MEASUREMENT, THE FOLLOWING TWO INDEPENDENT MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT TRENDS WERE USED: (1) AVERAGE ANNUAL RATES UNEMPLOYMENT FOR 15 TO 19 YEAR OLD MALES IN THE NATION'S LABOR FORCE, AND (2) AVERAGE JULY-OCTOBER RATES OF REGISTERED UNEMPLOYMENT OF THE 15 TO 20 YEAR OLD MALES IN NEW SOUTH WALES. DELINQUENCY WAS MEASURED IN TERMS OF ANNUAL RATES OF COURT APPEARANCES UNDER THE CRIMES ACT OF JUVENILES OF WORKING AGE. THE THREE INDEPENDENT METHODS OF CORRELATION ANALYSIS USED WERE LONGITUDINAL, ORGANISMIC, AND CROSS SECTIONAL. NO ASSOCIATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND DELINQUENCY RATES. THERE WAS A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE STATUS OF ADJUDICATED JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND UNEMPLOYMENT, WHICH WAS INDEPENDENT FROM THE PREVAILING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT UNEMPLOYMENT FORCED UPON WORKING-AGE JUVENILES BY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IS NOT CRIMINOGENIC, AND THAT HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG DELINQUENTS IS DUE TO THEIR NOT AVAILING THEMSELVES OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE SAME EXTENT AS OTHER WORKING-AGE JUVENILES. IT MAY ALSO BE A REFLECTION OF THE UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL IN THE AREA OF THEIR RESIDENCE. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE FOOTNOTED. (KBL)