NCJ Number
81262
Date Published
1980
Length
18 pages
Annotation
The need for crime prevention through special efforts to integrate foreign residents in West German society is examined.
Abstract
The discussion highlights the origins of the foreigners' presence in Germany, the demographics of the minorities, and the measures proposed for their social integration, especially critical for the emerging second generation. Foreigners, living in Germany as workers, members of foreign military forces, and illegal aliens are all outsiders who remain on the fringes of society as second-class citizens. Foreign crime involvement is estimated to be one-and-one-halftimes higher than that of Germans and can be differentiated by nationality (e.g., Turks - serious assault; Austrians property crimes; Americans - sexual assault, etc.). Culture conflict alone cannot explain the predominance of these crimetypes; their causes appear to lie in severed family ties and low socioeconomic status. The children of foreigners suffer from inadequate schooling, ghettoization, language barriers, identity problems, and sociolization deficits, all of which constrain their employability. Integration should not appear as forced Germanization; maintaining the native language and religious identity should be encouraged. Programs should promote educational opportunities to enhance employability, assist families in the socialization of children, and provide desegregated housing arrangements. Juvenile justice programming should consider the needs of minority youths, especially in planning recidivism prevention efforts. Footnotes are given.