NCJ Number
68431
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
TRENDS ARE CHARTED FOR GEORGIA FOR 1960-75 REGARDING AT-RISK JUVENILE POPULATIONS (AGES 10 TO 16), OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL DELINQUENCY CASES, CASES DISPOSED OF BY THE JUVENILE COURTS, TRAFFIC CASES, AND CASES DISPOSED BY SEX.
Abstract
A DISTINCT RISE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY WAS NOTED BETWEEN 1960 AND 1970, WHICH MAY BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO SOCIAL UPHEAVAL, CULTURAL CHANGES, AND RELAXED MORALITY IN THE SOCIAL MILIEU. WHILE THE AT-RISK POPULATION ROSE 24.1 PERCENT, REPORTED DELINQUENCY CASES INCREASED 270.0 PERCENT (DUE PERHAPS TO INCREASED SOPHISTICATION IN REPORTING AFTER 1970). THE YEARS 1970-75 PROBABLY REFLECT A MORE ACCURATE TREND OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AS RELATED TO THE AT-RISK POPULATION, WITH A RATHER STABLE YEARLY INCREASE OF THOSE AT-RISK AROUND 1 PERCENT. IN 1970, THE PROPORTION OF DELINQUENCY CASES WAS 3.5 PERCENT OF THE AT-RISK POPULATION AND IN 1975, ALTHOUGH THE POPULATION HAD INCREASED 3.2 PERCENT, THE DELINQUENT POPULATION WAS REDUCED TO 2.8 PERCENT. THIS IS PARTIALLY EXPLAINED BY COURTS' TENDENCY TO HEAR CASES ON AN UNOFFICIAL BASIS, WHICH ROSE FROM 4,866 IN 1970 TO 18,953 IN 1975. DELINQUENCY MAY BE DECREASING BY THE INCREASED PRACTICE OF HANDLING CASES ON AN UNOFFICIAL RATHER THAN AN ADJUDICATING BASIS. IN 1975 THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY AS MANY UNOFFICIAL CASES AS OFFICIAL (WHEREAS IN 1970, UNOFFICIAL HEARINGS CONSTITUTED ONLY 17.6 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CASES). TRAFFIC CASES DISPOSED OF BY GEORGIA'S COURTS PRESENT AN ERRATIC PATTERN, INCREASING MOST DRAMATICALLY IN 1963 FROM 445 OFFICIAL CASES IN 1960 TO 3,173 IN 1963. UNOFFICIAL CASES ABOUT EQUALED OFFICIAL CASES IN 1964 BUT SINCE THAT TIME HAVE MAINTAINED A RATHER LOW PROPORTION. BY 1975, THE PROPORTION OF UNOFFICIAL CASES HAD INCREASED TO 36.5 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CASES HEARD. FEMALE DELINQUENTS ARE SLOWLY CLOSING THE GAP ON THE TRADITIONAL NUMERICAL DOMINATION OF MALE DELINQUENT OFFICIAL CASES DISPOSED OF BY THE JUVENILE COURTS. THE CHARTS ILLUSTRATING THE TRENDS ARE PROVIDED.