NCJ Number
84180
Date Published
Unknown
Length
282 pages
Annotation
This preparatory report presents overviews of the criminological, sociological, and juridical aspects of urban criminality, along with 30 papers on urban crime from individual countries in Europe and Latin America, South Africa, Japan, India, and Israel.
Abstract
The introductory discussion of urban criminology covers theories on urbanization, trends in registered urban crime throughout the world, the issues of hidden delinquency, the role of the media, and vulnerability to co-option into urban crime. Crimes common to the urban environment are described, as are prevalent control strategies. A report from the sociological perspective focuses on sociological factors influencing urban crime, such as population size and density, ethnic composition, architecture, and inhabitants' anonymity. Other topics considered are slums, immigrant population, juvenile delinquency, social controls, and fear of victimization. A review of papers on juridical aspects of urban crime criticizes measures to increase penal legislation and decriminalize some offenses, concluding that legal controls must be strongly related to social change and improvement. Individual presentations describe urban crime patterns in Greece, Cordoba in Argentina, South Africa, Venezuela, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Rumania, Mexico, Israel, and India. Other contributors focus on broader issues, including rural-urban comparisons, relationships between crime and urbanization, juvenile delinquency, drug problems, and biological influences on criminal behavior. For specific reports, see NCJ 84181-84182.