NCJ Number
89158
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1983) Pages: 128-149
Date Published
1983
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Analysis of 1,146 cases referred to the juvenile bureau from 5 London Metropolitan Police divisions showed that legal variables play major roles in the police decision whether to caution or charge a juvenile offender, but nonlegal variables such as race also significantly affect the decision.
Abstract
Data were collected from official registration forms for the last quarter of 1978. The results indicated that police were more likely to caution rather than charge juveniles with no previous criminal records and juveniles who committed traffic offenses compared to those involved in burglaries and violent crimes. Other groups with high chances of being cautioned were whites, juveniles with regular parental supervision, and youths aged 10-14. The analysis also revealed relationships between area, type of offense, and the likelihood of cautioning. Sex and type of housing accommodation did not contribute significantly to the police decision. The findings suggest that while police and the juvenile bureau are not biased by a juvenile's socioeconomic status, they do discriminate against blacks and certain types of offenses, the greater prevalence of problem families among black juveniles, and the difficulty of obtaining mandatory agreement from black juveniles to leave the cautioning decision to the police. The article recommends that the juvenile bureau adopt a more formal approach for black offenders, based on the juvenile's previous record and severity of the offense, to produce a more balanced representation of blacks sent to court. Tables, footnotes, and approximately 40 references are included.