Social Control of Juvenile Traffic Offenders in Japan

• NCJ Number: 92997
• Author(s): M Yokoyama
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: Japan
• Note: Paper presented at the session on 'Delinquency Prevention Reforms' of the International Symposium on the Impact of Criminal Justice Reform, sponsored by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and the Research Committee for the Sociology of Deviance and Social Control, International Sociological Association Symposium held November 3-5, 1983, San Francisco, CA.

Annotation

Japan has exerted social control over juvenile traffic offenders through the criminalization of traffic offenses, preventive systematic education in traffic safety, and the use of probation and juvenile training schools.

Abstract

A primary ingredient of Japan's effort to prevent juvenile traffic offenses is community traffic safety education. This involves the annual observance of traffic safety week throughout the country; the creation of traffic safety clubs, where children learn about traffic safety in conjunction with a recreation program; and traffic safety classes at all levels of public schooling. By 1969, traffic criminal laws had been systematized in Japan, and under these laws, the criminalization of traffic offenders was strengthened in law enforcement, court sanctions, and the treatment of traffic offenders. This is believed to have contributed to the decline of traffic accidents in the 1970's. Juvenile traffic offenders are processed in family courts. A recent trend has been for family court judges to put juvenile traffic offenders under probationary supervision or commit them to juvenile training schools to educate them in matters pertaining to traffic safety. During the investigation period, family courts can place juveniles on tentative probation, during which probation officers supervise juveniles primarily for an educative influence. Under a formal probation disposition, specialized volunteer probation-parole officers educate and guide juvenile traffic offenders. In the training schools, attention is given to educate treatment rather than punishment. Data on traffic accidents in Japan and the involvement of juveniles in traffic offenses are provided along with 8 notes.