Chapter 2 -  The Extent of Delinquency (Measuring Delinquency)

FBI Crime Classifications: The Uniform Crime Reports  

FBI Crime Classifications: The Uniform Crime Reports 

Problems with the UCR 

–      Note the number of scandals in recent years where several police departments were caught manipulating crime data

–      See the study by Brownstein noted in the Ch. 2

–      Many citizens have been reluctant to report crimes (e.g., rape victims)

–      This is especially true for Part II offenses, such as drugs, DUI, minor assaults, etc.

Status Offenses 

–      Running away

–      Truancy

–      Curfew law violations

–      Liquor law violations (technically in most states these laws apply to those under 21)

–      Incorrigible, unmanageable, beyond control, etc. which are often lumped together under a general heading, such as CHINS (Children in Need of Supervision) or PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision), etc.

 Sources of Data on Delinquency 

–      Asks respondents to tell about their criminal activities.

–      Measures the “dark figure of crime”.

–      Reveals that crime is a very common activity.

–      Demonstrates youth crime is spread throughout the social classes.

–      Is probably a reliable measure of trends over a period of time.

–      Respondents queried every six months about household and personal victimizations.

 What do self report studies tell us? 

–      This is an annual report from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research that surveys around 3,000 youths selected randomly.

–      Most youths committed at least one delinquent act during the previous year, but few got caught.

–      Representative sample of 9,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 16

–      Results shown in Table 2.7

–      Few racial differences found.

•      While several criticisms have been made, several methods have been devised to combat these problems, so that such surveys are highly reliable.

•      Perhaps the most important findings of these surveys is that they show few racial differences as far as illegal drug use is concerned

–      Yet the racial differences in arrests rates are huge, with black youth at least 5 times more likely to be arrested

 Children as Victims 

–      Physical abuse - these are acts that caused or could have caused physical injury;

–      Sexual abuse - includes sexual activities that could provide sexual gratification or financial benefit to the perpetrator (e.g., prostitution, pornography, etc.);

–      Emotional abuse - verbal or emotional assault or omissions that caused or could have caused conduct, cognitive, affective, or other mental disorders;

–      Physical neglect - abandonment, expulsion from home, failure to seek medical care, inadequate supervision, inadequate food, clothing, shelter, etc.

–      Emotional neglect - inadequate nurturance or affection, permitting deviant behavior and other developmental or emotional needs;

–      Educational neglect - permitting chronic truancy or other ignoring other educational needs. 

Long-term effects of Child Abuse 

–      results in low self-esteem, guilt, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, significant weight gain or loss, numerous illnesses, poor social relationships among others

–      two words - running and away - and the important word is “away” for they are not so much running to somewhere, but running away from what is often an unbearable situation

–      language deficiencies, learning problems, conflict with peers and teachers and the school itself (e.g., fights, vandalism, arson), poor academic performance and dropping out

–      often used to block the pain (especially for sexual abuse victims)

–       promiscuity, prostitution and early pregnancy

–      sometimes severe violence (e.g., children killing parents)

–      gender difference (boys turn it outward, while girls go inward) 

Juvenile Victims of Crime 

–      fourth leading cause of death among children between 1 and 4

–      third leading cause of death for those between the ages of 5 and 14

–      the second leading cause of death for those between 15 and 24.

–      the leading cause of death among black teenagers

–      http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/nr2006/

•      Black youth are far more likely to be homicide victims than whites (about a 5 to 1 ratio).

•      Recent study found that among the 3,000 counties in the country, one-fourth of the juvenile homicides occurred in the five counties surrounding Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Philadelphia and Chicago (representing only 9% of the population)

•      Guns

–      United States has a rate of firearm homicides for children (ages 0-14) was 16 times greater than the combined rates of 15 other countries

 The National Crime Victimization Survey 

–      Journal of the American Medical Association study found that during the school years 1992-1993 and 1993-1994, a total of 63 students were reportedly murdered in school. 

–      During the calendar years 1992 and 1993, a total of 7,294 youngsters between 5 and 19 were murdered away from school

 Delinquent Careers 

OJJDP report (Denver, Rochester and Pittsburgh 

·         Of these, most I called “chronic nuisances”  - mostly minor offenses, including status offenses

·         In short, as already noted, even for those involved in “serious delinquency” such involvement is of a rather short duration

·          This is a reflection of what criminologists call “maturational reform” – most kids “grow up”