Delinquency In An International Perspective

This book presents the first comprehensive analysis of the second International Self-Report Delinquency study (ISRD-2). An earlier volume, Juvenile Delinquency in Europe and Beyond (Springer, 2010) focused mainly on the findings with regard to delinquency, victimization and substance use in each of the individual participating ISRD-2 countries. The Many Faces of Youth Crime is based on analysis of the merged data set and has a number of unique features:  The analyses are based on an unusually large number of respondents (about 67,000 7th, 8th and 9th graders) collected by researchers from 31 countries;  It includes reports on the characteristics, experiences and behaviour of first and second generation migrant youth from a variety of cultures;  It is one of the first large-scale international studies asking 12-16 year olds about their victimization experiences (bullying, assault, robbery, theft);  It describes both intriguing differences between young people from different countries and country clusters in the nature and extent of delinquency, victimization and substance use, as well as remarkable cross-national uniformities in delinquency, victimization, and substance use patterns;  A careful comparative analysis of the social responses to offending and victimization adds to our limited knowledge on this important issue;  Detailed chapters on the family, school, neighbourhood, lifestyle and peers provide a rich comparative description of these institutions and their impact on delinquency;  It tests a number of theoretical perspectives (social control, self-control, social disorganization, routine activities/opportunity theory) on a large international sample from a variety of national contexts;  It combines a theoretical focus with a thoughtful consideration of the policy implications of the findings;  An extensive discussion of the ISRD methodology of ‘flexible standardization’ details the challenges of comparative research. The book consists of 12 chapters, which also may be read individually by those interested in particular special topics (for instance, the last chapter should be of special interest to policy makers). The material is presented in such a way that it is accessible to more advanced students, researchers and scholars in a variety of fields, such as criminology, sociology, deviance, social work, comparative methodology, youth studies, substance use studies, and victimology.

Juveniles in Contemporary Society: Understanding Juvenile Justice and Delinquency is an authoritative and well-crafted introduction to today's Juvenile Justice system. Using a thematic framework that supports analysis, the authors provide an integrated approach to topical coverage. Through clear writing, an interdisciplinary selection of sources, and thoughtful themes, authors Saundra D. Trujillo, L. Thomas Winfree, Jr., and Carlos E. Posadas illuminate the roles of history and theory in shaping today's juvenile justice system. Helpful pedagogy consistently supports understanding, retention, and review. Professors and students will benefit from: Diverse author team who bring a variety of backgrounds and perspectives to the text. Theoretical Reflections boxes that integrate overarching themes throughout the text. Comparative and international insights grounded in the content of each chapter, with International Perspectives boxes included throughout the book. Understandable historical review of both juvenile justice and juvenile delinquency. Compelling vignettes that open each chapter, raising questions about the themes to be explored, illustrating basic concepts, and fueling class discussion Helpful graphs and tables illustrate the key topics. Excellent Critical Thinking questions at the end of each chapter. Unique chapters that are key to the study of Juvenile Justice today: Chapter 5, Understanding Delinquency: Theories of Race, Ethnicity and Gender and Chapter 12, Race, Ethnicity, and Gender: Highlights from Recent Research explore the impacts of social constructions like gender, race, and ethnicity on youths' interactions with the justice system. Chapter 6, Delinquency Prevention addresses prevention and intervention from both philosophical and practical perspectives, discussing what works and what does not work and some of the reasons behind program success or failure. Chapter 11, Juvenile Probation and Aftercare provides thoughtful and in-depth discussion of this often-overlooked topic. Chapter 13, Youth Gangs and Violence highlights a national issue and shows how theory can inform research and how research can inform both policy and practice in the juvenile justice system.

This Brief presents the first major release of findings from the Third International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD3). ISRD is a major international research collaboration that now covers some 35 countries. It surveys young people aged 12 to 16 in their schools, asking about their experience of crime – both as offenders and as victims – and about their attitudes to crime and justice and about their home and school life. ISRD1 was carried out in 1991-1992 and ISRD2 in 2006-2008. ISRD findings presented here cover the 27 ISRD3 countries for which data are already available, with a total sample approaching 63,000 young people. For most of these countries, the samples are drawn from two major cities. This volume provides key findings on self-reported offending and on victimization.Chapter 1 set the scene, and describes the background to ISRD3. Chapter 2describes the methods used in the survey; respondents complete the ISRD questionnaire either in paper format or – increasingly – using a standardized internet program. Chapter 3 covers key findings on self-reported offending, including the important finding that preparedness to disclose offending varies according to cultural context. Chapter 4 presents findings on victimization, including important new findings on hate crime and the use of parental violence, as well as coverage of more conventional forms of crime. A final chapter summarizes the results and draws out their implications. This Brief will be of interest to researchers in criminology and criminal justice,as well as related fields such as sociology, public policy, and psychology. Due tothe groundbreaking methodological analyses provided, this Brief is essential reading to all who conduct or use internationally comparative and global survey research.

Juvenile Delinquency by Laura Pinto Hansen blends a discussion of the juvenile justice system with the sociological underpinnings of delinquency issues, creating the ideal text for courses in sociology, criminology, and criminal justice programs. Providing thorough coverage of both theory and application, the text’s interdisciplinary approach looks at juvenile offending through the scholarly lenses of sociology, criminal justice, developmental and physiological psychology. The thoughtful approach is designed to offer a rich reading experience, accommodating different styles of learning. Professors and students will benefit from: Comprehensive coverage of not only the history and theory of juvenile delinquency but also the sociological and psychological underpinnings underlying the law. Interdisciplinary approach that can be used in a wide variety of programs. International Perspectives on Juvenile Justice in each chapter offering cross-cultural, cross-national views of the treatment of juvenile offenders, as well as a peek behind the walls of juvenile detention centers in other countries around the world. In the Media sections provide timely case studies of current trends in the field. Carefully designed pedagogy, including Chapter Objectives, Key terms, Chapter Summaries, and Discussion Questions, helps students master the material. References and Suggested Readings at the end of each chapter not only cite the sources used but also encourage students to research topics further, as well as giving them a start for their class research papers. Cover Image: Michael Schoenholtz

As a steady source of juvenile delinquents and an incubator for future adult offenders, the youth gang has long been a focus of attention, from their origins and prevalence to intervention and prevention strategies. But while delinquent youth form gangs worldwide, youth gang research has generally focused on the U.S. Youth Gangs in International Perspective provides a needed corrective by offering significant studies from across Europe, as well as Trinidad-Tobago and Israel. The book spans the diversity of the field in the cultural and scholarly traditions represented and methods used, analyzing not only the social processes under which gangs operate and cohere, but also the evolution of the research base, starting with the Eurogang Program’s definition of the term youth gang. Cross-national and gender issues are discussed, as are measurement concerns and the possibility that the American conception of the youth gang is impeding European understanding of these groups. Among the topics covered: Gang dynamics through the lens of social identity theory. Defining gangs in youth correctional settings. Gang gender composition and youth delinquency. From Stockholm: a holistic approach to gang intervention. Gang membership as a turning point in the life course. The impact of globalization, immigration, and social process on neo-Nazi youth gangs. Filling a critical gap in the literature, Youth Gangs in International Perspective will find a wide audience among criminologists, policymakers specializing in youth crime, and researchers and graduate students in criminology, political science, and youth studies.

Young people, crime and delinquency are words that are commonly linked in public perception and young people are often blamed for social ills. Their deviancy and threat to social control has been held to be a social fact from Plato to today. This book subjects that ‘fact’ to critical examination through consideration of youth justice systems in six different countries, drawing on sociological and criminological analysis as well as expert practitioner opinion. This book's comparative, cultural approach allows for consideration of the impact of new and emergent systems of communication and discourse and considers how these may impact future constructions of delinquency at a local and global level. Understanding changing constructions of delinquency, the systems and responses we already have and their strengths and weaknesses enables critique about what we do and what we know, and allows us to imagine how it might be otherwise.

Juvenile justice has been and remains a topical issue at national and international levels. There are various standards and guidelines for administration, but six major models characterize juvenile justice systems worldwide: participatory, welfare, corporatism, modified justice, justice, and crime control. Juvenile Justice: International Perspectives, Models, and Trends presents contributions by authors from different countries in all five continents employing these six models. The book begins with a comprehensive overview of the topic and the various international standards and guidelines designed to inform juvenile justice practices. This introduction is followed by chapters on individual countries covered independently by resident experts, allowing readers to appreciate a range of comparisons and to critically reflect on the relative merits of the different models. Topics presented in each chapter include: The country’s history of juvenile justice The nature and status of delinquency Current legislation on juvenile justice How well the legislation complies with the Standard Minimum Rules of the Administration of Juvenile Justice as defined by the United Nations The type of juvenile justice model followed Age limits for male and female juvenile offenders Legal and social issues confronting juvenile offenders Current theoretical biases used to explain and justify response to delinquency Future issues, challenges, and/or initiatives Text boxes supply current and relevant examples to contextualize key issues and themes. Each chapter features discussion questions and helpful web links to facilitate further research. Presented in an unbiased manner, the book is a consolidated yet comprehensive overview of juvenile justice models and practices worldwide. It enables readers to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of different juvenile justice models/systems and to evaluate all countries in light of the larger international phenomena of delinquency.