SEEDBED FOR CRIMINALITY - THE INCREASING PROBLEM OF JUVENILE CRIME (FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT BIBLE, 1978, BY ROBERT A SCANLON - SEE NCJ-49390)

• NCJ Number: 49394
• Author(s): F DALY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Stoeger Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE INCREASING PROBLEM OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, PARTICULARLY VIOLENT JUVENILE CRIME, IS DISCUSSED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE HISTORY OF JUVENILE CRIME IN NEW YORK CITY.

Abstract

ALTHOUGH JUVENILES COMMITTED SERIOUS CRIMES IN THE 19TH CENTURY, THE NUMBER OF THESE CRIMES WAS SMALL AND THERE WERE FEW VIOLENT CRIMES. REASONS GIVEN FOR THE INCREASE IN VIOLENT JUVENILE CRIME INCLUDE: THE PORTRAYAL OF VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA, THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY, THE FAILURE OF THE SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES, AND THE FRUSTRATION OF MINORITY YOUTHS. WHILE JUVENILE ARREST STATISTICS DURING THE EARLIER PART OF THE 20TH CENTURY ARE NOT TOTALLY ACCURATE, JUVENILE CRIME DECREASED FROM 10,914 ARRESTS IN 1910 TO 8,009 ARRESTS IN 1916. BETWEEN 1922 AND 1936, JUVENILE CRIME RANGED BETWEEN A LOW OF 4,081 AND A HIGH OF 6,180. DURING THIS PERIOD PROPERTY THEFT AND GENERAL CRIMINALITY WERE THE MOST FREQUENT ARREST CATEGORIES FOLLOWED BY BURGLARY AND INCORRIGIBILITY, WITH CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS BEING THE LOWEST ARREST CATEGORY. NATIONAL ARREST STATISTICS SHOW EXTREME INCREASES IN JUVENILE PART 1 INDEX CRIMES BETWEEN 1960 AND 1967. INCREASES IN ALL CATEGORIES HAVE CONTINUED DURING 1970 THROUGH 1975, ALTHOUGH AT A SLOWER RATE. IN NEW YORK CITY, JUVENILE ARRESTS INCREASED FROM 3,424 IN 1950 TO 24,891 IN 1976, AN INCREASE OF 626.9 PERCENT. YOUTHFUL VIOLENCE IS QUICKLY EXPOSED BY THE MEDIA, AND A LACK OF UNIFORM GUN LAWS MAKES YOUTHFUL VIOLENCE EASIER. YOUTH GANG ACTIVITY HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY VIOLENT; AND WHILE INTERGANG CONFLICT IS STILL PREVALENT, GANGS HAVE BRANCHED OUT INTO ROBBERY, BURGLARY, AND EXTORTION. HOWEVER, YOUTH GANG ACTIVITY, PARTICULARLY IN SOME AREAS OF NEW YORK, HAS BEEN DECLINING BETWEEN 1972 AND 1976. ANOTHER AREA OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY HAS BEEN THE INCREASING RATES OF JUVENILE FEMALE ARRESTS IN ALL CATEGORIES FROM PROSTITUTION TO LARCENY-THEFT AND GANG-RELATED INCIDENTS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS LIKELY TO BE A PROBLEM OF INCREASING CONCERN WHICH WILL REQUIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIME PREVENTION ATTENTION. MOREOVER, MUCH RESEARCH WILL BE NEEDED, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF CRIME PREVENTION AND CHILDREARING PRACTICES. (JAP)