NCJ Number
72868
Editor(s)
T Sellin,
M E Wolfgang
Date Published
1969
Length
166 pages
Annotation
A Philadelphia research project conducted from 1960-64 which constructed a new index of delinquency provided the basic data for this collection of six papers on various aspects of juvenile delinquency, including demographic characteristics and gang activities.
Abstract
This project tried to provide a more meaningful measurement of law infractions attributed to juveniles by considering the character and seriousness of violations as well ar their numbers. Following a brief summary of the index system that resulted, papers by researchers who participated in the original project are presented. An examination of the relationship between delinquents' residences and where their crimes were committed concludes that most offenders engaged in criminal activities in their own neighborhoods. A study on the ecology of delinquency analyzes the influences of race, income, density, occupation, house value, education, and migration on areas with high crime rates and high numbers of residents who were juvenile offenders. Activities of gangs and delinquent youth groups and their relationship to deviant behavior are described in two papers, and appropriate points for intervention to prevent delinquency are recommended. An analysis of dispositions of juvenile delinquents by the Philadelphia police reveals that the attitude of the victim toward prosecution was the most important factor in influencing decisions to divert the offender from court adjudication. Finally, the advantages of the index system developed in the original research by Sellin and Wolfgang over the Uniform Crime Reports data are demonstrated in a comparison of robbery trends in Philadelphia from 1960 through 1966. Graphics and references accompany each article. An index is provided. For individual entries, see NCJ 72869-74.