IS STEALING NORMAL - THE OFFENSE OF LARCENY BY MINORS ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF THE LATEST UNREPORTED CRIME RESEARCH - WEST GERMANY

• NCJ Number: 30929
• Journal: Kriminalistik Volume: 29 Issue: 6 Dated: (JUNE, 1975) Pages: 252-254
• Author(s): W WEHNER-DAVIN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 3 pages
• Corporate Author: Kriminalistik Verlag Gmbh
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

SINCE COMPUTATIONS BASED ON THE LATEST UNREPORTED CRIME RESEARCH INDICATE THAT ONLY ONE SHOPLIFTER OUT OF 39 IN WEST GERMANY GETS CAUGHT, IT SEEMS UNFAIR AND UNJUSTIFIED TO PUNISH THOSE FEW WHILE SO MANY OTHERS GO FREE.

Abstract

THE COMPUTATIONS ALSO INDICATED THAT, TAKING BOTH REPORTED AND UNREPORTED CRIME INTO ACCOUNT, ALMOST FOUR MILLION WEST GERMAN JUVENILES WERE GUILTY OF THEFT, INCLUDING SHOPLIFTING, IN 1973. IF THIS IS SO, SUGGESTS THE AUTHOR, ARE WE NOT JUSTIFIED IN ASKING OURSELVES WHETHER STEALING IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR AMONG WEST GERMANY JUVENILES SINCE SO MANY OF THEM COMMIT THIS OFFENSE. THE UNREPORTED CRIME RESEARCH TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE PROBABILITY THAT THE GREATER THE PROPERTY LOSS THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT THE OFFENSE WILL BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE, AND VICE VERSA. --IN GERMAN