CRIME IN THE CHANGING GREEK SOCIETY - REFLECTIONS ON STATISTICAL DATA

• NCJ Number: 57077
• Journal: MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIETY Volume: 2 Issue: 3-6 Dated: (1975) Pages: 189-195
• Author(s): C D SPINELLIS
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: S Karger Ag
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey (Cross-Cultural)
• Language: English
• Country: Switzerland

Annotation

CRIME STATISTICS IN GREECE ARE ANALYZED TO INDICATE THE USEFULNESS OF COMPARING INTERACTIONS AMONG SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, TECHNOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN INTERPRETING CAUSES OF CRIME.

Abstract

SOURCES OF CRIME STATISTICS VARY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY, AND DIFFERENT LEGAL DEFINITIONS OF CRIME ARE USED BY STATISTICAL AGENCIES IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH CRIMINAL LAWS AND PROCEDURES. BETWEEN 1960 AND 1970, THE VOLUME OF CRIME IN GREECE DECREASED. IN 1960, THERE WERE 82,649 CONVICTIONS; IN 1970, THERE WERE 72,393 CONVICTIONS. THE NUMBER OF RECIDIVISTS FOR THE SAME PERIOD ONLY INCREASED FROM 28,988 TO 31,540. THE AVERAGE CRIMINAL WAS A MARRIED MALE, BETWEEN 25 AND 35 YEARS OF AGE, WITH A GRAMMAR SCHOOL EDUCATION AND RESIDENCE IN AN URBAN AREA. ACCORDING TO THESE STATISTICS, CRIME APPEARS TO HAVE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN GREECE; HOWEVER, IMPRESSIONISTIC OBSERVATIONS REPORT A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN VIOLENCE. RESEARCH ON CRIMINOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF CRIME STATISTICS AND CRIME CAUSES PROPOSES A DISTINCTION BETWEEN CRIMINOLOGY ORIENTED TOWARD PURPOSES OF CRIMINAL LAWS AND PROCEDURES AND CRIMINOLOGICALLY-ORIENTED DISCIPLINES THAT STUDY THE PHENOMENON OF CRIME OR THE CRIMINAL FROM SOCIOLOGICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, MEDICAL, POLITICAL, AND PEDAGOGICAL VIEWPOINTS. FOR CRIME STATISTICS TO BE ACCURATE, THE EXIGENCY AND THE PRACTICALITY OF EXTRALEGAL CLASSIFICATIONS ARE APPARENT. FIVE CATEGORIES OF DEFINING CRIMES ACCORDING TO BEHAVIOR ARE NOTED: (1) CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, (2) CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, (3) ILLEGAL SELLING AND ILLEGAL CONSUMPTION, (4) ILLEGAL PERFORMANCE, AND (5) CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT OFFENDERS BE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THEIR MOTIVES AND ACCORDING TO WHETHER THEY ACT ALONE OR IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS. IF EXTRALEGAL DIMENSIONS ARE INCORPORATED IN CRIME STATISTICS, CROSSCULTURAL COMPARISONS WILL BE POSSIBLE, AND QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE CHANGES IN CRIMINALITY CAN BE OBSERVED. CRIME STATISTICS SHOULD BECOME THE TASK OF AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION TO CONTROL GLOBAL CRIME TRENDS. DATA ON CRIME RATES IN GREECE ARE TABULATED, AND REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)