NCJ Number
149087
Journal
Deviance et societe Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: (March Trimester 1994) Pages: 55-88
Date Published
1994
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This survey explored the attitudes of 1,000 Scottish juveniles (aged 11-15) in four different sections of Edinburgh.
Abstract
The questionnaire deliberately abandoned adult concepts such as "juvenile delinquency" and "adult offender," and encouraged the juveniles to express their own ideas about experiences with crime, either as victims or offenders; their relations to the police and their perceptions of social justice; the way they spent their free time outside the home; their concerns, fears, and hopes; and their plans for the future. The results contradicted conventional wisdom. The children of poor or underprivileged families did not seem to commit more offenses than those from wealthy families. At the same time, they did not seem to become crime victims more frequently. Nevertheless, the authorities considered the poorer juveniles more prone to delinquency than their wealthier counterparts. Although Scotland has a different legal structure from England and registers fewer offenses against persons and property, the results of this study raise legitimate questions about the adult perception of childhood and juvenile offenses. 31 references, statistical charts and graphs.