Socio-demographic characteristics of juvenile delinquents in Turkey

In developing countries, juvenile delinquency and the involvement of children in crime is an important social problem. The bio-psycho-social factors leading to a crime, as well as the situation of individuals in society have become an increasingly important issue. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of socio-economic and -demographic characteristics of children involved in crime as suspects or victims. A questionnaire comprising questions concerning their socio-demographic characteristics and family status was administered to the participants. Of a total 351 cases, 245 (69.8%) were alleged offenders and 71 (20.2%) were victims of a crime. Most of them were male in the 16-18 age group, attending high school, involving in a crime for the first time, suffering from a substance-use disorder and have committed physical assaults and theft crimes. Obtained findings should be considered in developing strategies and implementing prevention policies in order to tackle juvenile delinquency. Besides the penalties given to children involved in a crime, educational and psychosocial support should also be provided.