NCJ Number
61674
Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIOLOGY, OF LAW Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (AUGUST 1979) Pages: 297-306
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY THAT RECONSIDERED THE QUESTION OF ASIAN CRIME IN BRADFORD, ENGLAND, TO DETERMINE WHETHER JUVENILE CRIME PATTERNS HAD CHANGED SINCE 1972.
Abstract
DATA WERE ANAYZED FOR THE JUVENILE POPULATION, I.E., THOSE PERSONS AGED 10 TO 16 YEARS LIVING IN BRADFORD. FOR ASIANS AND NONASIANS DATA WERE COLLECTED AND COMPARED FROM THREE SOURCES INCLUDING PROSECUTION DATA, INFORMATION KNOWN ABOUT OFFENSES RESULTING IN PROSECUTION, AND DATA RELATING TO INDIVIDUALS FOR CRIMINAL OFFENSES FOR THE YEARS 1976 AND 1977. DATA ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT ALTHOUGH ASIANS ARE OVERREPRESENTED AMONGST OCCUPIERS OF OLDER, POORER ACCOMODATION, THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERREPRESENTED AMONGST THE 'KNOWN OFFENDER' POPULATION. THIS IS EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE ASIAN JUVENILE POPULATION CONTAINS A HIGHER PROPORTION OF MALE THAN FEMALE TEENAGERS. TAKING FIRST THE INFLUENCE OF ASIAN CULTURE UPON CRIME RATES, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOUTHS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO AND CONTROLLED BY THEIR FAMILIES IS CONSIDERABLY GREATER FOR ASIANS THAN FOR NONASIANS. IN ADDITION, ASIAN CULTURAL ATTITUDES AND TRADITIONS HAVE WITHSTOOD PRESSURES OF BRITISH SOCIETY; THE PROPORTION OF ASIANS STAYING IN SCHOOL AFTER THE COMPULSORY LEAVING AGE IS ABOUT 50 PERCENT HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE 'LAW AND ORDER' POLITICANS CONSIDER THESE FACTS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ALLEVIATE THE CRIME PROBLEM IN BRITAIN. TABLES, REFERENCES, AND NOTES ARE INCLUDED IN THE ARTICLE. (LWM)