Crime
Juvenile Offender in Hong Kong
Juvenile Offenders
Juvenile Offender in Hong Kong
The increase in juvenile delinquency has become a world-wide phenomenon, especially in many developed countries. This trend is also evident in cities like Hong Kong and can be seen in a recent report which asserts that the age of juvenile offenders in Kong is getting younger. This study by Pang (2008) states that, "Some juvenile delinquents are now as young as 10 and 11..." (Pang, 2008).
According to the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, another disturbing indication of the increase in youth crime was the number of crimes committed by young females, which increased in 2006. "The young girls, mostly aged 13 to 14, usually like to commit crimes with their friends, like stealing accessories or cosmetics"..." ( Pang, 2008). Furthermore, this study notes that there was a thirteen percent increase in crimes committed by children between the ages of twelve and thirteen during 2008. This trend is supported by the fact that, "...the overall number of cases handled by its teenage crime counseling service, or its youth- support scheme, in the three areas rose to 790 & #8230; up 4% from 2006" ( Pang, 2008).
In general terms however, it has been found that Hong Kong has comparatively low levels of crime. Broadhurst (2000) states that, "The general consensus is that Hong Kong has a comparatively low level of crime and indeed this fact is frequently stressed in tourism and other promotions of the city" (Broadhurst, 2000). One of the reasons for this is that the fifth United Nations Criminal Justice System [UNCJS] survey has ranked Hong Kong the sixth highest police to population rate at 640 police per 100,000 people (Broadhurst, 2000). In addition there is also a comparatively large private security industry in the city (Broadhurst, 2000). In spite of these positive aspects there is an increase in juvenile offences, which leads to the theoretical interpretations and reasons for this situation.
Causative Factors and Differential Association Theory
One of the reasons given for the relatively high rate of juvenile offences in Hong Kong is that these offences are often linked to patterns of socialization and experience at an early age. This in turn has been linked to social phenomena such as the relatively high incidence of bullying at schools (Wong, 2004, p. 537). Studies indicate the school conflicts that remain unresolved and school bullying often act as a precursor to juvenile offences and violent behavior later in the life of the adolescent (Wong, 2004, p. 537).
This phenomenon has been positively linked to the increase in violent crime among juvenile offenders in Hong Kong. Wong (2004) found that in 2001 violent crimes in Hong Kong accounted for 26.7% of the total juvenile crimes in the seven to fifteen year age group (Wong, 2004, p. 538). This was a higher figure than the sixteen to twenty year age group; where the percentages of violent crimes were considerably lower (Wong, 2004, p. 538). This has in turn been linked to the high incidence of bullying at schools.
These findings tend to coincide with various criminological theories such as differential association theory, which is associated with Edwin Sutherland. This theory refers to criminal behavior as learned by the individual and that deviant forms of behavior are not essentially intrinsic to human nature. The emphasis in this theory is on learned patterns and justifications for certain types of behavior.
In this theory Sutherland argues that criminal behavior is learned in exactly the same way that other formed of behavior are taught (Walters, 2010). Fundamental to this theory of criminal behavior is that learning occurs in the interaction between groups and individuals via symbols and ideas. Deviant behavior occurs therefore when these ideas and symbols refer to criminal or delinquent behavior in a favorable rather than an unfavorable light (Wong, 2004, p. 538).
In essence, this theory is based on the basic premise that the main causes of crime are social, or rather that crime results from the way that the social context impacts and influences the individual. This theory therefore differs from more conventional psychological and biological theories of criminal behavior. In other words, Sutherland rejects causative views of crime based on biological determinism and individual psychological theories. This view also rejects purely economic explanations of the causes of crime (Edwin H. Sutherland: Differential Association Theory).
The theory is founded on two fundamental assumptions. These are that, "… deviance occurs when people define a certain human situation as an appropriate occasion for violating social norms or criminal laws" and secondly that ".... definitions of the situation are acquired through an individual's history of past experience"...
3. Variables Such as Gender There are various disparities in the overall demographics of this type of offense. As one report on the demographics of sex offenders in the United States, notes; "… although the vast majority of attention on sex crimes focuses on men as the offenders, an increased awareness of females as sex offenders has surfaced in recent years." (Female Sex Offenders, 2007) This study also adds the important
Of course, it becomes a very difficult matter to overcome sparse levels of availability when they are encountered (e.g. In the more remote regions of Western Australia). Taken together, the issues suggest that the impact of availability policy on the use of alcohol may be as heterogeneous as patterns of availability themselves. The reduction of one outlet in an urban area has significantly different meaning and implications than the reduction
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now