NCJ Number
126224
Date Published
1990
Length
79 pages
Annotation
This overview of juvenile delinquency in the Netherlands analyzes 8-years of data from police and justice agencies together with a 1988 self-report survey of male and female 12-to 17-year old juveniles.
Abstract
The statistical data reveal unique differences between the results of the two sources. Further, juvenile self-report data serve to complete the official State trends of youth outside the law. As in much of Western Europe, official Dutch statistics indicate a decline in delinquency, down 19 percent from 1982 to 1988. Self-report survey results reveal a similar decline in juvenile criminal actions from 1985/86 to 1987/88, although female crime on its own has increased slightly. It is concluded that (1) the overall decline may be a result of stronger, informal/social controls and youth-oriented crime prevention programs; (2) factors such as truancy, alcohol-comsumption, and soft drug use may lead to increased juvenile delinquency; (3) alternative, nonimprisonment sanctions are being used more and more by juvenile justice officials; and (4) Dutch official use of short term unconditional imprisonment is increasing, despite a general Western European decline. 45 tables, 29 references, sample questionnaire, and 9 tables and 2 figures on questionnaire results.