NCJ Number
82417
Date Published
1981
Length
179 pages
Annotation
The proceedings of a 1980 European conference on prevention of juvenile delinquency are presented to provide insight into the delinquency prevention role of socialization institutions.
Abstract
Conference participants are researchers or administrators in criminology-related areas. Topics discussed relate to the relationship between prevention programs and theories of delinquency, the role of the family in social integration of juveniles, the role of the school in an evolving society, the importance of work in juvenile delinquency prevention, and the effects of such factors as the state of the society, the architectural environment, leisure opportunities, the mass media, and the consumer society on juvenile delinquency. The findings of the conference suggest that not only technical solutions but also social and economic factors must be considered in juvenile crime prevention. Rapid changes in the world affect the relationship between juveniles and society as a whole. The role of socialization institutions in juvenile delinquency prevention has been criticized. The orientations and experiences of such institutions should be assessed in different countries and the Council of Europe should take the initiative in comparing the results of various national experiments. The conference recommends that multidisciplinary studies be conducted to establish which factors produce delinquency in juveniles and how family, school, work, and leisure activities interact. Developmental transformation, changes in masculine and feminine roles within the family, and tolerance in the society for particular types of delinquency, and the role of the school in making juveniles aware of sociocultural inequalities should be studied. A bibliography, appendixes and tables are supplied.