NCJ Number
77837
Journal
California Sociologist Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1979) Pages: 69-83
Date Published
1979
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Using official statistics, some of the ethnic factors in juvenile delinquency among Israel's Jewish population are examined.
Abstract
Delinquency statistics were analyzed for 1966, a year representative of the period before the Six-Day War as well as a time of economic recession. The second point of data-gathering was 1970, a year during which socioeconomic postwar changes occurred. The principal data sources were the Reports of the Ministry of Welfare on 'Minors Under Treatment of the Youth Probationary Service' (for 1966 and 1970) dealing with all cases of delinquency known and processed by the juvenile justice system. The data indicate a significantly heavier delinquency involvement of juveniles of Asian-African descent, compared to the delinquency rate of juveniles of European-American descent. While official statistics are notoriously incomplete and often biased, there are strong indicators that in this case they correctly reflect the actual situation of juvenile delinquency in Israel. One possible explanation for differing delinquency rates among ethnic groups is the concentration of citizens of Asian-African heritage in the lower socioeconomic sector of Israeli society due to their lack of prior skills and experience which would equip them to achieve socioeconomic success in Israel's modern industrial society. Also, since Israel is primarily an immigrant society, having received the majority of its Jewish population since 1948, many immigrant groups, especially from Asia and Africa, have experienced culture conflict which is characteristic of large-scale immigration. In Israel, the connection between juvenile delinquency and immigration, especially among rural immigrants settling in urban areas, has been documented in several works (Shoham, 1962; Shichor, 1973, and others). Notes, references, and tabular data are provided. (Author abstract modified)