Are Japanese Police Practices Increasing Teenage Arrest Rates? Long-Term Juvenile Delinquency Trends in Nippon From 1936 to 1987

• NCJ Number: 125968
• Journal: Police Studies Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1990) Pages: 33-45
• Author(s): M S Vaughn
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Approaching the twenty-first century, no one doubts Japan's importance in the modern world. While writing extensively on informal social control, Western criminologists are not focusing on juvenile delinquency within Nippon.

Abstract

This study identifies juvenile crime trends within Japan over the last five decades, presenting a war and post-war analysis of juvenile deviance. The article raises important issues regarding the role of the Japanese police in shaping crime statistics. In particular, the recent rise in total juvenile crime may be, in part, a reflection of heightened police scrutiny of adolescent misbehavior. Through examination of crime fluctuations, longitudinal patterns emerge, allowing researchers to gain insight into Japanese crime. 2 figures, 8 notes, and 118 references. (Publisher abstract)