NCJ Number
63174
Date Published
1979
Length
147 pages
Annotation
THE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON CRIME PROBLEMS RESPONSIBLE FOR STUDYING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN EUROPE REPORTS ON SOCIAL CHANGE INFLUENCING DELIQUENCY AND VARIOUS COUNTERMEASURES.
Abstract
THE INCREASE IN THE RATE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN THE COUNTRIES REPRESENTED ON THE SELECT COMMITTEE (FRANCE, BELGIUM, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, GREECE, ICELAND, ITALY, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM) OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY RAPID SOCIAL CHANGE STIMULATED BY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, URBANIZATION, THE INFLUENCE OF THE MASS MEDIA, AND ECONOMIC PRESSURES. EFFORTS AT SOCIAL CONTROL IN THESE COUNTRIES HAVE OCCURRED ON THREE LEVELS--PRIMARY (HAVING TO DO WITH THE STRUCTURING OF SOCIETY TO AID IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE DESIRED QUALITIES OF SOCIALIZATION IN YOUTH), SECONDARY (PERTAINING TO INTERVENTION PROGRAMS TO HELP YOUTH DEEMED AT RISK), AND TERTIARY (AIMED AT PREVENTING RECIDIVISM AMONG YOUTH WHO HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED DELINQUENT ACTS). IMPROVED HOUSING, REDUCTION IN UNEMPLOYMENT, EFFORTS TO STABILIZE AND IMPROVE FAMILY LIFE, CHILD ALLOWANCES, IMPROVEMENT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND THE EXPANSION OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH ARE AMONG THE PRIMARY DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN MANY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. SECONDARY PREVENTION EFFORTS HAVE GENERALLY AIMED AT PROVIDNG REMEDIAL EDUCATION AT HOME AND IN THE SCHOOL FOR AT-RISK YOUTH IN ORDER TO COUNTERACT NEGATIVE INFLUENCES ON DEVELOPMENT. TERTIARY PREVENTION ACTIVITIES HAVE FOCUSED ON TREATMENT FOR DELINQUENTS TO FACILITATE THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THUS PREVENT RECIDIVISM. A RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, BASED UPON THE SELECT COMMITTEE'S REPORT, OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEMBER STATES REGARDING SPECIFIC MEASURES THAT SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN TO STEM THE GROWING TIDE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. LIMITED TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)