NCJ Number
45365
Journal
Kriminalistik Volume: 31 Issue: 11 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1977) Pages: 491-497
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE LATEST SOCIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CHILD CRIMINALITY AND DELINQUENCY ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE MEANING OF CHILD DELINQUENCY AND ITS DEFINITION WITH REFERENCE TO AGE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IS DISCUSSED. CHILD DELINQUENCY IS A POLITICAL AS WELL AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM, AS SOCIETY DEFINES WHAT IS A CRIME. EACH CRIME IS COMMITTED IN A CERTAIN ENVIRONMENT AND THEREFORE BECOMES A SOCIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM, RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT FAMILY BACKGROUND, ENVIRONMENT, AND CONFLICTS. SEVERAL HYPOTHESES ABOUT THE CAUSES OF CRIME HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BUT NONE SEEMS GENERALLY APPLICABLE. MOST OF THEM FALL INTO TWO MAIN GROUPS. THE FIRST LOCATES THE CAUSES OF CRIME INSIDE THE INDIVIDUAL OR IN SOCIETY ITSELF. THE QUENSEL MODEL EXPLAINS DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR BY A COMBINATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES. THE CRIMINAL-INHERITANCE THEORY HOLDS THAT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS AN INNATE CHARACTERISTIC; CRIMINALS ARE BORN AND NOT MADE. IN MOST CURRENT THEORIES THE ENVIRONMENT IS CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, RESULTING FROM WRONG EDUCATION, CHILD ABUSE, AND MATERNAL DEPRIVATION DURING A CHILD'S FIRST 3 YEARS. THE PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORY SEES CRIME AS THE RESULT OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS CAUSED BY AN EDUCATION THAT MIXES SEVERE STRICTNESS WITH SPOILING. THIS KIND OF FAULTY EDUCATION IS OFTEN CONNECTED WITH UNSTABLE FAMILIES LIKE DIVORCED OR BROKEN MARRIAGES. ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN THEORIES, BY ROBERT MERTON, HOLDS THAT WHEN SOCIETY VALUES SUCCESS BUT DENIES EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, SOME PEOPLE WILL USE ILLEGAL MEANS TO REACH THAT SUCCESS. STATISTICS SHOW THAT PEOPLE IN LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC CLASSES ARE MORE LIKELY THAN MEMBERS OF OTHER CLASSES TO COMMIT CRIMES. THEY ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE SUSPECTED, ARRESTED AND CONVICTED. A CHILD'S CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR DEVELOPS IN TWO STAGES. THE FIRST STAGE, PRIMARY DEVIATION, INCLUDES ACTS COMMITTED ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT OR WITH PLAYFUL INTENT. THE SECOND STAGE, SECONDARY DEVIATION, REFERS TO THE SITUATION AFTER THE CHILD HAS BEEN CAUGHT AND HAS TO COPE WITH THE STIGMA OF BEING A KNOWN OFFENDER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DURING THIS STAGE A CHILD IS PUSHED INTO A CRIMINAL CAREER. SOME REFERENCES ARE CITED. SEE ALSO NCJ-45366. --GERMAN. (ING)