NCJ Number
48581
Journal
Journal of Social Issues Volume: 24 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1968) Pages: 105-114
Date Published
1968
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A REVIEW OF RESEARCH INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND CRIME AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS PRESENTED. FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED AS THEY RELATE TO ANOMIC EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY.
Abstract
TWO APPARENTLY DIVERGENT VIEWS OF THE ETIOLOGY OF HIGH JUVENILE CRIME RATES HAVE BEEN ESPOUSED. THE FIRST POSITS THAT LIMITED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND THE FRUSTRATION AND DESPAIR OF POVERTY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND THAT THE JUVENILE, LACKING LEGITIMATE MEANS TO ATTAIN STATUS, TURNS TO ANTISOCIAL AND DEVIANT PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR. THE SECOND SCHOOL OF THOUGHT PROPOSES THAT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS A CONCOMITANT OF INDUSTRIALIZATION, AFFLUENCE AND HIGH EMPLOYMENT. CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH EXISTS WHICH PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR BOTH VIEWS. A NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE FOUND SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS BETWEEN ADULT PROPERTY CRIME AND MALE UNEMPLOYMENT. THE FINDINGS CONCERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUVENILE CRIME AND UNEMPLOYMENT ARE NOT SO CLEAR. IN A 1944 STUDY, A DECLINE IN BUSINESS ACTIVITY CORRELATED WITH A DECLINE IN JUVENILE CRIME RATES. USING A DIFFERENT RESEARCH APPROACH, STUDIES HAVE FOUND CORRELATIONS BETWEEN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING, AND BETWEEN SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION AND DELINQUENCY. A 1954 STUDY BY LANDER FOUND A CLEAR-CUT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION TURNOVER, RACIAL HETEROGENITY AND OTHER ANOMIC FACTORS AND JUVENILE CRIME RATES. THIS FINDING HAS BEEN CORROBORATED BY OTHER STUDIES IN DIFFERENT AREAS. IF ANOMIE (LACK OF STABLE NORMS) IS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, THEN IT FOLLOWS THAT HIGH POPULATION MOBILITY WHICH INHIBITS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STABLE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND/OR RAPID SOCIAL CHANGE RESULTING IN INTERGENERATIONAL NORM CONFLICTS SHOULD BE CORRELATED WITH HIGH RATES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, CONDITIONS OF UNEMPLOYMENT/EMPLOYMENT MAY PLAY A DIRECT ROLE IN POPULATION MOBILITY, THUS CREATING ANOMIC CONDITIONS. FOR INSTANCE, THE HIGH RATES OF DELINQUENCY AMONG SOUTHERN BLACKS MIGRATING TO THE NORTH IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT OFFERS SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPOSITION. ON THE OTHER HAND, RAPID INDUSTRIALIZATION AND HIGH EMPLOYMENT ACCOMPANIED BY POPULATION SHIFTS CAN ALSO CREATE CONDITIONS OF NORMLESSNESS. IN SOUTH AFRICA THE BREAKUP OF FAMILIES ACCOMPANYING EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS IS CHRONIC AND DELINQUENCY RATES ARE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH. HOWEVER IN SWITZERLAND, WHERE INDUSTRIALIZATION AND HIGH EMPLOYMENT HAS NOT BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY EXTENSIVE SOCIAL CHANGE OR MAJOR POPULATION SHIFTS, THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINING DELINQUENCY RATE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT CAREFUL SOCIAL PLANNING WHICH TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE AND BETWEEN SOCIAL CHANGE AND NORM SYSTEMS COULD PREVENT THE NEEDLESS CREATION OF ANOMIC CONDITIONS WHICH FREQUENTLY FOLLOW INDUSTRIALIZATION. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)