性教育缺失与青少年犯罪

性教育的缺失容易导致青少年因性无知、性心理异常、性道德错位等而犯罪,应该构建家庭、学校与社会三者和谐统一的、科学的性教育体系,以有效地预防青少年性犯罪的发生。     

ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND YOUTH GANG MEMBERSHIP: SELECTION AND SOCIALIZATION

We examine whether gang membership is associated with higher levels of delinquency because boys predisposed to delinquent activity are more likely than others to join. We use 10 years of longitudinal data from 858 participants of the Pittsburgh Youth Study to identify periods before, during and after gang membership. We build on prior research by controlling for ages and calendar time, by better accounting for gang memberships that occurred before the study began, and by using fixed effects statistical models. We find more evidence than has been found in prior studies that boys who join gangs are more delinquent before entering the gang than those who do not join. Even with such selective differences, however, we replicate research showing that drug selling, drug use, violent behaviors and vandalism of property increase significantly when a youth joins a gang. The delinquency of peers appears to be one mechanism of socialization. These findings are clearest in youth self-reports, but are also evident in reports from parents and teachers on boys' behavior and delinquency. Once we adjust for time trends, we find that the increase in delinquency is temporary, that delinquency falls to pre-gang levels when boys leave gangs.     

Self-reported offending,maturational reform,and the Easterlin hypothesis

The maturational reform hypothesis and the Easterlin cohort size hypothesis are used to specify models in which age, period, and cohort effects on self-reported crime and delinquency are estimated. Curvilinear effects, logarithmic transformations, and the distinction between prevalence and frequency of offending are considered. The maturational reform hypothesis is supported for general delinquency but not for serious (Index) delinquency, for which there appears to be a steady decline in the behavior with age. The Easterlin hypothesis is supported for both general and Index delinquency. Theoretical, methodological, and substantive implications of the results are discussed.     

Delinquent networks in Sweden

This study covers all persons under the age of 20 who were suspected of having committed a crime in the Swedish city of Borlänge (approx. 50,000 inhabitants) during the years of 1975–1977. The juveniles (575 in all) were followed up during a total of 10 years. A sociometric method based on police data was developed for studying co-offending patterns. The method was validated through a smaller number of interviews with the juveniles. This study shows that a large majority of the most delinquency active juveniles was associated with a large network of delinquent relations. The stronger the connection to this network, the more substantial, serious, and long-lasting were the delinquency and other asociality. This network also seemed to be very important with regard to the reproduction of juvenile delinquency in the municipality. At the end of the follow-up period juvenile delinquency in Borlänge had basically the same character as at the beginning, even though the juveniles included in the network were, to a large extent, new. The young offenders who were central figures in the new network had successively learned their roles from the network's old members.This paper is based on results published initially in a report entitledDelinquent Networks (Sarnecki, 1986).     

未成年人犯罪成人化现象的思考

未成年人犯罪成人化是未成年人犯罪中较为突出的现象。基于对未成年人犯罪生理上成人化和心理上幼稚化矛盾的认识，建议宜对未成年人犯罪实行轻刑化、非刑罚化和刑罚严厉化并用的政策，并采取建立独立的少年审判机构、建立多种非刑罚性的处罚方式和适当降低最低刑事责任年龄等三项具体措施，以有效治理未成年人犯罪成人化问题。     

检察视野下未成年人犯罪预防研究

作为国家司法机关，检察机关应当在预防未成年人犯罪中发挥更积极的作用。为取得理想的犯罪预防效果，检察机关应根据不同的未成年人群体采取不同措施。在特殊预防中，检察机关应积极履行职责，促进未成年人刑事司法活动的合法化和合理化；在一般预防中，检察机关应从文化市场、教育工作和法制宣传三方面入手，采取合理措施，为未成年人营造良好的外部成长环境。     

Participation in Extracurricular Activities and Adolescent Adjustment: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Findings

This study extends previous understanding of the association between adolescent extracurricular activity participation and adjustment by asking whether participation in school-based extracurricular activities is associated with lower substance use and depression, higher grades and academic aspirations, and more positive attitude toward school. In addition, it examines the role of life events stress and time spent in activities as potential moderators of the association. Data come from an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents from 6 California highschools (N = 3,761). Cross-sectional results suggest participation is associated with more positive adolescent outcomes for all variables except alcohol use and depression, controlling for gender, ethnicity, and grade. Longitudinal analyses are consistent with these findings. Cumulative participation over a 3-year period predicts adolescent outcomes controlling for both Time 1 outcomes and demographic characteristics. In addition, within-person analyses reveal year-to-year covariation of participation and positive outcomes. Dr. Darling is a developmental psychologist whose research focuses on social relationships during adolescence, with a special interest in contextual variation in developmental processes.     

The Effects of Adolescent Activities on Delinquency: A Differential Involvement Approach

T. Hirschi’s (1969, Causes of Delinquency. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA) control theory proposes that involvement, as an element of the social bond, should reduce delinquency. But, research studies have found that the effect of involvement is rather weak. This study reformulates Hirschi’s involvement hypothesis by posing involvement as a social setting variable and a differential factor. Certain activities provide a social setting favorable to the development of the social bond and the reduction in delinquent association. The reformulated hypothesis is examined based on a sample of Grade 7–12 students in a Western Canadian city. The results reveal that school- and family-related activities strengthen the social bond and reduce delinquent association and delinquency. In contrast, other conventional activities such as spending time with friends and dating have the opposite effects. In addition, the indirect effect of differential involvement on delinquency through the social bond and delinquent association is stronger than its direct effect. Thus, the undesirable effects of the less-positive activities on delinquency may be buffered or reduced by strengthening the social bond and reducing delinquent association.Siu Kwong Wong is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Brandon University. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Washington State University. His major research interests are in the study of delinquency and social disorganization.     

关于未成年人犯罪刑事政策问题的思考

针对当前我国未成年人犯罪的发展形势,应使现有的未成年人犯罪的刑事政策得到进一步丰富和发展。同时还应借鉴国外的社会调查、前科消灭以及设立未成年人法院等做法,引入和建立其他新的机制,以更好地保护未成年人。     

Effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy for Mandated Versus Non‐Mandated Youth

This study compares the outcomes for youth mandated to participate in Functional Family Therapy (FFT) to those whose participation was referred but voluntary. FFT is a short‐term intervention for delinquents and status offenders, along with their parents. The study sample consists of 120 cases: 70 youth and parents who were mandated by the Family Court to participate in FFT and 50 youth and their parents who were referred to FFT by other agencies. The sample is diverse in terms of gender, race and ethnicity. The outcome variables consist of a set of scales obtained from the Strengths and Needs Assessment (SNA). Changes in life domain functioning, child strengths, acculturation, caregivers' strengths, caregivers' needs, child behavioral emotional needs, and child risk behaviors are assessed. The analysis indicates that both groups improved across all domains. Overall, being mandated to participate in FFT does not predict greater improvements in outcomes. The findings suggest that status offenders and minor delinquents who participated in FFT could be processed less formally without foregoing the therapy outcomes.