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ECONOMIC GROWTH, INDUSTRIALIZATION AND URBANIZATION AS FACTORS IN CRIME (FROM ZAGADNIENIA NIEPRZYSTOSOWANIA SPOLECZNEGO I PRZESTEPCZOSCI W POLSCE, P 125-142, 1978, BY JERZY JASINKI - SEE NCJ-68628)

NCJ Number
68632
Author(s)
A MOSCISKIER
Date Published
1978
Length
18 pages
Annotation
INDUSTRIALIZATION AND URBANIZATION HAVE NOT LED TO INCREASED CRIME IN POLAND, ALTHOUGH SOME CORRELATION BETWEEN THESE FACTORS AND JUVENILE CRIME HAS BEEN FOUND. MIGRATION HAS BEEN THE MAIN CRIME DETERMINANT.
Abstract
STUDIES OF THE LINKS BETWEEN URBANIZATION AND ADULT CRIME IN POLAND HAVE SHOWN THAT EVEN THOUGH THE RATIO OF THE NUMBER OF CRIMES TO THE NUMBER OF INHABITANTS IS MUCH HIGHER IN CITIES THAN IN RURAL AREAS, THE PERCENTAGES OF CRIMINALS AMONG THE URBAN AND THE RURAL POPULATIONS ARE VERY CLOSE. FURTHERMORE THERE IS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN CITY SIZE AND INCIDENCE OF CRIME. NOR DOES THE RANKING ORDER OF PROVINCES (VOIVODSHIPS) ACCORDING TO URBAN POPULATION PERCENTAGES CORRELATE WITH ADULT CRIME RATES IN THESE VOIVODSHIPS. THIS MEANS THAT THE CITY ATTRACTS A CONCENTRATION OF CRIME, BUT URBAN GROWTH IN POLAND IS NOT A CRIMINOGENIC FACTOR. THE LINK BETWEEN URBANIZATION AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS MAINLY A RESULT OF FAMILY DISINTEGRATION IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT. THE LINK BETWEEN INDUSTRIALIZATION AND THE CRIME RATE, IS DISPROVED BY STATISTICS FROM KATOVICE VOIVODSHIP, THE MOST INDUSTRIALIZED REGION IN POLAND, WHERE BOTH ADULT AND JUVENILE CRIME RATES ARE LOWER THAN IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. THE COMPARISON OF 17 VOIVODSHIPS HAS SHOWN THAT STRONG CORRELATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF CRIME AND THE MASS MIGRATIONS CAUSED BY CHANGES IN POLAND'S BORDERS DIRECTLY AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. --IN POLISH.