NCJ Number
47476
Date Published
1974
Length
117 pages
Annotation
YOUTH CRIMINALITY IS INVESTIGATED AS A RESULT OF SOCIAL FACTORS, VARIOUS APPROACHES AND REACTIONS TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY WORLDWIDE ARE DISCUSSED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NECESSARY SOCIAL CHANGES ARE MADE.
Abstract
THE WORK IS BASED ON THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOUTH CRIMINALITY ARISES FROM THE SOCIAL PROCESS, THUS IT CAN ONLY BE TREATED AND ELIMINATED IN THE SOCIAL PROCESS. THE TREATMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN INSTITUTIONS IS SENSELESS AS A CRIMINAL POLICY, AND THE YOUTHS' CRIMINAL DEVELOPMENT CAN ONLY BE HALTED IN FREE, OPEN SOCIETY. THE BOOK BEGINS BY DESCRIBING SOME OF THE EARLIER STUDIES OF YOUTH CRIME IN THE U.S. IN THE 1920'S AND 1930'S. THEIR HYPOTHESES, METHODS, AND FINDINGS ARE EVALUATED. MORE RECENT STUDIES (SINCE 1960) CONDUCTED IN THE U.S., SOVIET UNION, MEXICO, EAST AND WEST GERMANY, SCANDINAVIA, AND SOUTH AMERICA ARE ALSO CITED. SOCIAL INFLUENCES SUCH AS FAMILY, SCHOOL, PEER GROUPS, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ARE AMONG THE FACTORS DISCUSSED WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH CRIMINALITY. SOCIETAL REACTION TO JUVENILE OFFENDERS, ITS TREATMENT OF THEM, AND THE EFFECTS OF LABELING AND STIGMATIZATION ON FURTHER DELINQUENT ACTIVITY ARE PARTICULARLY EMPHASIZED. THE SECOND MAJOR PART OF THE BOOK DEALS WITH THE PREVENTION OF JUVENILE CRIMINALITY WITHIN THE SOCIAL PROCESS. THE EARLY EFFORTS OF THE 'CHILD SAVERS' IN GERMANY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEPARATE JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES ARE DISCUSSED. THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF THE TREATMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, NORTH AMERICAN 'TRAINING SCHOOLS,' AND THE IDEA OF PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR DELINQUENT YOUTHS ARE EVALUATED, AND SOME REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT ARE PRESENTED. ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR THE PREVENTION OF DELINQUENCY AND THE TREATMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN FREE SOCIETY ARE DISCUSSED, INCLUDING COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS AND GROUP THERAPY. A FINAL SECTION OUTLINES NECESSARY CHANGES IN THE CRIMINAL POLICY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, SUCH AS THE ELIMINATION OF JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS OF ALL KINDS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD SELF-HELP ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSIST YOUTHS IN SOLVING THEIR PROBLEMS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED, WITH ENTRIES PRIMARILY IN ENGLISH. --GERMAN. (VDA)