Ethnic Minorities and Causes of Crime (From The Future of the Juvenile Justice System, P 129-153, 1991, Josine Junger-Tas and Leonieke Boendermaker, et al., eds. -- See NCJ-133019)

• NCJ Number: 133029
• Author(s): M Junger
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 25 pages
• Sale Source: ACCO Tiensestraat 134-136
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: Belgium
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. A paper from an international conference on the future of the juvenile justice system, May 29-31, 1989, in Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands.

Annotation

This paper examines delinquency rates and causes for a number of Dutch ethnic minorities compared with a comparable indigenous Dutch group of boys.

Abstract

A total of 200 12-to 17-year-old boys were randomly selected from Moroccan, Turkish, Surinamese, and Dutch populations. They resided in 33 localities and were matched on socioeconomic background. Subjects were interviewed on background characteristics and self-reported delinquency. Information was also obtained from five other Dutch studies on delinquency in ethnic minorities. Of the ethnic minority groups, the Moroccans had the highest arrest rates (33 percent); the arrest rates of Turks and Surinamese were 10 percent lower (23 percent). The Dutch boys had lower rates than the ethnic minorities (15 percent), but higher rates than a representative sample of Dutch boys (10 percent). Although three of the studies explain delinquency by means of concepts from strain theory and cultural deviance, the current study showed only indirect support for strain theory. Socioeconomic background had minimal correlation with delinquency. The current study found that family functioning was systematically related to delinquent behavior among all groups. Overall, the findings support social control theory. 2 tables, 50 references, and appended data, questionnaire, and sample description