NCJ Number
172687
Date Published
1996
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This analysis of research on ethnic minority immigrant populations, crime, and criminal justice in the Federal Republic of Germany concludes that this research is biased toward the issue of proneness to crime and that issues of immigrant criminality are highly sensitive in terms of their political and ideological potential.
Abstract
For three decades, public debates and criminological research have focused on whether foreign minorities are more prone to crime than are the German population. However, if research designs include proper controls, crime and crime patterns are similar for ethnic and foreign minorities and for comparable national groups. Instead, crime among ethnic minorities reflects marginalization and structural problems in societies. Explanations of crime among ethnic minorities should use the same variables used in explaining crime in general, because no data indicate that variables referring to ethnicity or nationality of offenders might be useful or meaningful in etiological research. In addition, resident minority populations should be distinguished from migrating groups or individuals and from participants in the underground economy; the latter two should be analyzed from the perspective or migration or economics. More research is also needed regarding victimization among ethnic minorities; victimization rates are higher in these groups, and their marginal positions hinders their access to adequate institutions. Information is also needed on the points in the criminal justice process where minority-related problems actually occur. 41 references