STATISTICS AND JUVENILE WELFARE WORK - THE STUDY GROUP 1976-1977

• NCJ Number: 60720
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 97 pages
• Corporate Author: Studiecentrum Voor Jeugdmisdadigheid
• Sale Source: Studiecentrum Voor Jeugdmisdadigheid
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: French
• Country: Belgium

Annotation

FINDINGS RELATING TO BELGIAN STATISTICS ON ASSISTANCE FOR JUVENILES-AT-RISK ARE PRESENTED BY A 1976-77 WORK GROUP OF THE CENTER FOR STUDY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY.

Abstract

THE USEFULNESS OF SOCIAL STATISTICS IS AFFECTED BY UNREPORTED DATA, ETHNOMETHODOLOGICAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE VALUE OF STATISTICS, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER STATISTICS ACTUALLY MEASURE WHAT THEY SEEK TO MEASURE, AND THE ABSENCE OF POLICE STATISTICS ON JUVENILES. ALSO TO BE CONSIDERED ARE THE SHORTCOMINGS OF TABULAR MATERIAL, THE OBJECTIVES AND VALIDITY OF STATISTICS GATHERED BY THE BELGIAN NATIONAL LEAGUE OF MENTAL HYGIENE, AND ARGUMENTS FOR OPEN STATISTICS ON JUVENILE PROTECTION. PUBLICATION OF STATISTICS ON JUVENILE PROTECTION HAS BEEN IRREGULAR, AND PUBLISHING AGENCIES ARE SHORT-SIGHTED IN WHAT THEY DEEM RELEVANT AND CARELESS IN METHODOLOGICAL MATTERS SUCH AS CHOICE OF CATEGORIES. STATISTICS ARE AN ADMINISTRATIVE TOOL, I.E., AN INTERNAL CHECK ON WORK AND A MEANS OF JUSTIFYING CERTAIN INTERVENTIONS. 'INTEGRATED STATISTICS,' I.E., A COMBINATION OF AGENCY DATA AND CARDS ON INDIVIDUALS, WOULD PERMIT BOTH STUDYING INDIVIDUAL CASES AND EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SYSTEM; RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON THE SYSTEM'S FUNCTION. JUDICIAL STATISTICS CANNOT BE CONSIDERED A MEASURE OF THE EXTENT OF DELINQUENCY, AND THE PRESENT FORM OF JUDICIAL STATISTICS LEAVE A GREAT DEAL TO BE DESIRED, BOTH IN TERMS OF METHOD AND OF OBJECTIVES. IMPROVING YOUTH PROTECTION STATISTICS REQUIRES SEPARATION OF ROUTINE DATA FROM SPECIAL STATISTICS. FURTHERMORE, ROUTINE DATA SHOULD COME DIRECTLY FROM CONCERNED AGENCIES, SHOULD BE COLLECTED WITH METHODS SIMPLE ENOUGH FOR UNTRAINED PERSONNEL TO HANDLE, SHOULD BE GATHERED USING UNIFORM UNITS, CLEARLY DEFINED CATEGORIES, AND RECOGNIZABLE TIME ELEMENTS, AND SHOULD FIT INTO THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF STATISTICS ON ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SPECIAL STATISTICS ARE ESSENTIAL TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, BUT THE PROBLEM OF ACCESS TO PRIVATE INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN STATISTICAL SURVEY FORMS AND A LIST OF WORK GROUP PARTICIPANTS. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)