NCJ Number
68628
Date Published
1978
Length
493 pages
Annotation
POLISH STUDIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT AS A BACKGROUND FOR CRIMINALITY AND ALCOHOL (AND DRUG) ABUSE ARE DISCUSSED IN THE ARTICLES COMPILED IN THIS VOLUME.
Abstract
PAPERS IN THIS COLLECTION INVESTIGATE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CRIMINALITY IN POLAND, UTILIZING STATISTICS SPANNING THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE 1950'S AND THE 1970'S. ALL THE ARTICLES SHARE A COMMON PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH CRIMINALITY, JUVENILE DELINQUENCE, AND ALCOHOL ABUSE ARE VIEWED AS SYMPTOMS OF SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT. INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES SEEK THE CAUSES OF SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT IN A VARIETY OF CRIME GENERATIVE FACTORS RANGING FROM MACROSOCIAL ASPECTS OF URBANIZATION AND INDUSTRIALIZATION TO IMMEDIATE FAMILY ENVIRONMENTS AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MAKEUP OF INDIVIDUALS. THE EXTENT OF CRIME IS ASSESSED FROM OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF REPORTED CASES, WHILE SHORTCOMINGS IN DATA RELIABILITY ARE RECOGNIZED WITH REFERENCE TO UNREPORTED CRIME AND RECORDKEEPING TECHNIQUES. ARTICLES EXAMING URBANIZATION, INDUSTRIALIZATION, AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES CONCLUDE THAT THESE PROCESSES HAVE NOT AFFECTED ADULT CRIME RATES. JUVENILE CRIME HOWEVER, HAS INCREASED DUE TO THE WEAKENING OF FAMILY TIES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. THIS PHENOMENON IS EXPLORED BY ARTICLES DEALING WITH JUVENILE GANGS, PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS, SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE, AND THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CRIME, EMOTIONAL DISORDERS, LOW INTELLIGENCE, AND SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT. DRUG ABUSE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM IN POLAND, BUT ALCOHOLISM WAS FOUND TO IMPACT OFFENDER RECIDIVISM AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HANDICAPS WERE FOUND TO BE CONDUCIVE TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ONLY IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER UNDESIRABLE SOCIAL FACTORS. THE GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS EMANATING FROM THE STUDIES IN THIS COLLECTION FOCUS ON EARLY RECOGNITION OF PROBLEM BEHAVIOR, NONPUNITIVE TREATMENT OF ALCOHOLISM, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS THAT ADVANCE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SCHOOL AND HOME ENVIRONMENTS OF POLISH YOUTH ALONG WITH GUIDANCE IN THEIR FREE TIME ACTIVITIES. FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, SEE NCJ 68629-42. --IN POLISH.