NCJ Number
223005
Date Published
2007
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This paper presents an overview of Finnish juvenile crime, trends, and causes and its control.
Abstract
Highlights of main trends in juvenile crime in Finland over the recent 10 years include: (1) participation in theft or destruction of property has decreased; (2) threats of violence have increased while physical injuries resulting from violence have not; (3) the proportion of youths who refrain from delinquency has steadily increased; (4) social control has become more efficient; juvenile offenders are increasingly likely to become known to the police; and (5) the attitudes of juveniles toward crime have become more condemning. The causes of juvenile crime are much the same in Finland as in other similar developed countries. Highlights of the main causes acknowledged in this overview include: (1) stable individual behavioral propensities in interaction with environmental and community context related factors; (2) poverty increases criminal propensity of families with children by weakening the willingness and ability of parents to control their children; and (3) official sanctions that weaken the perpetrator’s bonds to conventional institutions. Highlights of some of the main trends in the social control of juveniles include: (1) the need to intervene early and rapidly after the onset of criminal behavior informs many policies and (2) situational crime prevention has been increasingly applied. Highlights of trends in the treatment of juveniles in the penal system include: (1) the cooperation between criminal justice and social work has been increased; (2) the number of juveniles receiving sentences in courts has decreased, a trend that reflects changes in penal practices; and (3) the use of prison sentences has been increasingly avoided. This anthology provides an overview of Finnish juvenile crime and its control. The purpose is to provide a broad, multidisciplinary overview of trends, causes, and control of juvenile crime. Figures