Prevention of juvenile crime and deviance

Adolescents' and experts' views in an international perspective

Thomas Görgen (Author), Anneke Evenepoel (Author), Benjamin Kraus (Author), Anabel Taefi (Author)

Abstract

Purpose: This article analyses perspectives on youth crime prevention in samples of 13–17 year old students from 6 European countries and of practitioners/experts in Belgium and Germany. Design/Methods/Approach: Surveys were conducted among urban and rural school students (n = 10682). Expert and practitioner perspectives were taken into account using Delphi surveys, standardized surveys on the state of youth crime prevention, and semistructured interviews with practitioners in the areas where the school surveys were conducted. Findings: While the majority of students have been targeted by drug abuse prevention measures, rates for violence prevention are lower. Students ascribe moderate preventive potential to school and they regard peers and parents as most influential in prevention while professional agents are viewed as less important. Punitive approaches are not rejected, but approaches focusing on individual resources and problems are given priority. Experts point at the significance of socioeconomic factors related to the problem of (youth) delinquency and hence of social policy measures. They recommend prevention starting at an early age, strengthening social skills and following multi-professional approaches. Research Limitations / Implications: Schools surveys excluded special schools, and response rates in expert surveys were low or moderate. Practical Implications: Findings point to young persons’ understanding of factors influencing their behaviour and at connections between involvement in offending and accessibility for approaches to prevention. Expert surveys show needs for improvement in the field of prevention, especially in terms of funding, evaluation, and fundamental strategic approaches. Originality/Value: Perspectives of both actors and targets of preventive approaches are taken into account.

Keywords

prevention;juvenile delinquency;school survey;expert survey;drug abuse;violence;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2013
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UM FVV - Faculty of Criminal Justice
UDC:	343.91-053.6
COBISS:	2726890
ISSN:	1580-0253
Parent publication:	Varstvoslovje
Views:	554
Downloads:	31
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary title:	Preprečevanje mladoletniške kriminalitete in deviantnosti
Secondary abstract:	Namen prispevka: Članek na podlagi analize, ki vključuje vzorec 13–17 let starih dijakov iz šestih evropskih držav in praktikov/strokovnjakov iz Belgije in Nemčije, prikazuje poglede na preprečevanje mladoletniške kriminalitete. Metode: Raziskave so bile izvedene med dijaki (n = 10.682) v mestnem in podeželskem okolju. Pogledi strokovnjakov in praktikov so bili pridobljeni s študijo Delphi, standardiziranimi raziskavami o stanju preprečevanja mladoletniške kriminalitete in pol-strukturiranimi intervjuji s praktiki z območij, kjer so bile opravljene raziskave v šolah. Ugotovitve: Medtem ko je bila večina dijakov ciljna skupina preventivnih ukrepov o zlorabi drog, je stopnja preprečevanja nasilja nižja. Dijaki šoli pripisujejo zmeren preventivni vpliv. Svoje vrstnike in starše obravnavajo kot najbolj vplivne pri preprečevanju, medtem ko so strokovnjaki manj pomembni. Kaznovalnih pristopov ne zavračajo, vendar so v ospredju tisti, ki se osredotočajo na posamezne vire. Strokovnjaki opozarjajo na pomen družbenoekonomskih dejavnikov, povezanih s problemom (mladoletniškega) prestopništva in posledično ukrepov socialne politike. Priporočajo, da se preprečevanje začne že v zgodnjih letih s krepitvijo socialnih veščih in interdisciplinarnih pristopov. Omejitve/uporabnost raziskave Ankete, opravljene v šolah, ne vključujejo šol s posebnimi programi, stopnja odziva v raziskavah, opravljenih med strokovnjaki, pa je bila nizka ali zmerna. Praktična uporabnost: Ugotovitve kažejo razumevanje dijakov o pomenu dejavnikov, ki vplivajo na njihovo vedenje, in povezave med udeležbo pri kršitvah in dostopnostjo do preprečevalnih ukrepov. Raziskave, opravljene med strokovnjaki, kažejo potrebe za izboljšanje na področju preprečevanja, zlasti v smislu financiranja, vrednotenja in temeljnih strateških pristopov. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Upoštevani so pogledi izvajalcev prevencije in ciljne skupine glede preventivnih pristopov.
Secondary keywords:	preprečevanje;mladoletniška kriminaliteta;raziskave;šola;strokovnjaki;zloraba drog;nasilje;
Type (COBISS):	Scientific work
Pages:	str. 531-550
Volume:	ǂLetn. ǂ15
Issue:	ǂšt. ǂ4
Chronology:	2013
ID:	11574254