CRIMINAL LABELS - THEIR CONSEQUENCES AND IMPLICATIONS

• NCJ Number: 69040
• Author(s): F L FAUST
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Universidad Del Zulia
• Sale Source: Universidad Del Zulia
• Language: Spanish
• Country: Venezuela
• Note: CRIMINOLOGIA - TEXTOS PARA ESTUDIO NO. 2 (CRIMINOLOGY - TEXT FOR STUDY NO. 2)

Annotation

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PREVENTION MEASURES, DOUBTLESSLY REQUIRED IN ORDER TO PROTECT SOCIETY AND THE TRUE INTERESTS OF THE YOUNG OFFENDERS, ARE USELESS AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WHEN THEY INVOLVE CRIMINAL LABELING.

Abstract

SOCIETY'S INABILITY TO COPE WITH THE CONSTANTLY-INCREASING PHENOMENON OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY OFTEN INSPIRES CORRECTIVE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES THAT ARE BASED ON UNTENABLE PREMISES AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR CONSEQUENCES AND IMPLICATIONS. POTENTIAL DELINQUENTS, PREDELINQUENTS, AND DELINQUENTS ARE ALL GROUPED UNDER THE DELINQUENT DESIGNATION. POTENTIAL DELINQUENTS CANNOT BE RELIABLY IDENTIFIED; EVEN THE CONCEPT OF PREDELINQUENT IS INDISCRIMINATE AND SUBJECTIVE. ABSOLUTELY NO OFFICIAL INTERVENTION (I.E., INVOLVING SCHOOLS, POLICE, THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, CHILD WELFARE AND FAMILY SERVICE AGENCIES) IS WARRANTED TO CONTROL SOCALLED POTENTIAL DELINQUENCY UNTIL A VALID AND CLEARCUT DEFINITION OF THIS TERM IS FORMULATED. EVEN PREDELINQUENT JUVENILES (OFTEN REFERRING TO YOUNG PERSONS COMMITTING STATUS OFFENSES) SHOULD BE HANDLED WITHIN A SYSTEM THAT IS PARALLEL TO, AND OUTSIDE OF, THE JUVENILE JUSTICE DELIVERY SYSTEM, THROUGH INFORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS AND ADULT-JUVENILE JUSTICE DELIVERY SYSTEM, THROUGH INFORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS AND ADULT-JUVENILE AND PEER-GROUP INTERACTION. THIS PARALLEL SYSTEM INTERVENTION WOULD AVOID ASSIGNING THE DELINQUENT LABEL TO JUVENILES IN NEED OF HELP. THE LABEL INFLUENCES SOCIETY'S BEHAVIOR TOWARD THE YOUNG PERSON THUS STIGMATIZED AND BECOMES A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY. THE SAME KIND OF PARALLEL, OR INFORMAL, SYSTEM CAN BE EMPLOYED SUCCESSFULLY IN PREVENTING RECIDIVISM OF THOSE CONVICTED FOR JUVNILE DESIGNATED FELONIES. A JUDICIOUS BLEND OF INFORMAL PROGRAMS AND THE BENEFITS OFFERED BY THE JUVENILE JUSTICE DELIVERY SERVICES, CHANNELED THROUGH SELECTED VOLUNTEERS, RESPECTED BY THE COMMUNITY AND ABLE TO RELATE TO YOUTH, WITH THE ABILITY TO TAP POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR JUVENILE PROGRAMS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, IS THE IDEAL MECHANISM FOR GUIDING YOUNG OFFENDERS TOWARD PLAYING SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE ROLES WITHOUT STIGMATIZING THEM. ENDNOTES, SOME WITH BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES, ARE APPENDED. --IN SPANISH.