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CONSIDERATIONS ON CURRENT TRENDS IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY - ITALY

NCJ Number
64561
Journal
RASSEGNA DI CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 8 Issue: 1 AND 2 Dated: (1977) Pages: 27-33
Author(s)
T BANDINI
Date Published
1977
Length
9 pages
Annotation
CURRENT QUALITATIVE JUVENILE DELINQUENCY TRENDS IN ITALY ARE ANALYZED IN THE LOCAL SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONTEXT, WHILE SIMILARITIES WITH, AND DIFFERENCES FROM, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY TRENDS IN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE NOTED.
Abstract
THE ANALYSIS OF QUALITATIVE TRENDS IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS PREFERABLE TO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, WHICH IS MISLEADING BECAUSE IT SHOWS A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF VIOLENT CRIMES (HOMICIDE AND FELONIOUS ASSAULT) OVER THE LAST DECADE, A TREND THAT IS AT ODDS WITH THE QUALITATIVE DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY AS PERCEIVED WITH ALARM BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED NATIONAL WEALTH HAVE NOT BEEN EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE POPULATION STRATA, WHILE POOR YOUTHS ARE CONTINUALLY BOMBARDED WITH THE MASS MEDIA PORTRAYALS AND THE ACTUAL SIGHTS OF CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION AS THE ONLY DESIRABLE LIFE MODEL; THEREFORE, YOUNG PEOPLE RESORT TO CRIME TO OBTAIN THE ECONOMIC GOODS BEYOND THEIR REACH. THE INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS FROM THE UNDERDEVELOPED SOUTH AND OF PEASANTS FROM THE COUNTRY INTO PROSPEROUS NORTH ITALIAN CITIES ARE CRIMINOGENIC FACTORS TO WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE. THE USE OF DRUGS AMONG JUVENILES, AN IMPORTED PHENOMENON WHICH STARTED WITH HASHISH AND LSD AND HAS NOW BECOME MOSTLY HEROIN ADDICTION, IS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN THE INCREASE OF PROPERTY CRIMES, ALTHOUGH NOT IN VIOLENCE (CONTRARY TO PUBLIC PERCEPTION). DRUG-RELATED SUBCULTURES HAVE SPRUNG UP AMONG DISCONTENTED AND CONFUSED YOUNG PEOPLE, WITH ATTENDANT HARSH STIGMATIZATION AND MARGINALIZATION OF YOUNG ADDICTS BY PUBLIC OPINION, WHICH HAS COMPOUNDED THE PROBLEM. FAMILY CRIMES, SO-CALLED HONOR KILLINGS, AND VIOLENCE DICTATED BY A NOW OBSOLETE MACHO CODE HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY WIDELY PUBLICIZED, POLITICALLY MOTIVATED TERRORIST ACTS AND KIDNAPPINGS FOR RANSOM, AMID EXPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC DISMAY AND CALLS FOR STERN REPRESSION BY THE AUTHORITIES. THE REPRESSION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY BY ITALIAN POLICE AUTHORITIES IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC OUTRAGE HAS BEEN, HOWEVER, INCONSISTENT, SPORADIC, AND CAPRICIOUS, ALTERNATING HARSH PUNITIVE MEASURES WITH DE-FACTO DEPENALIZATION OF MANY OFFENSES AND PERMISSIVENESS. NO JUVENILE OFFENDER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS OF ANY SUBSTANCE ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED OR EVEN FORMULATED. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MANIFESTATIONS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN ITALY AND IN SOME COUNTRIES INCLUDE THE ABSENCE IN ITALY OF AIMLESS GANG VIOLENCE AND THE VOCAL CONDEMNATION OF DRUG USE BY YOUNG ITALIAN POLITICAL MILITANTS, WHO CALL IT A TOOL OF CONTROL AND ELIMINATION OF YOUTHFUL DISSENT BY THE ADULT MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. --IN ITALIAN. (LGR)