A Comparative Analysis of Juvenile Crime In The United States And Japan - Thesis Example

The primary purpose of the research is to ascertain differences and similarities in rates of juvenile offender recidivism in Japan and the United States. Crime historian Sir Leon Radzinowicz defines crime as “something that threatens serious harm to the community, or something generally believed to do so, or something committed with evil intent, or something forbidden in the interests of the most powerful sections of society” (as cited in Kornblum & Julian, p. 164). Juvenile crime is a grim reality in the United States and Japan.

It appears that many of the young people in both countries have lost their sense of direction. Reports of violence, sexual deviation, theft, and drugs reflect social problems that are embedded in the youth. ‘In 2009, juvenile courts in the United States handled an estimated 1.5 million delinquency cases that involved juveniles charged with criminal law violations. Juvenile courts handled 30% more cases in 2009 than in 1985’ (OJJDP, 2012). The rise in crime can be contributed to a growing population to a certain extent.

As the numbers mount, society is forced to realize just what the youth are capable of, and scrambling to find out why. Dealing with the negative constructs of crime largely is contingent on the beholder’s perspective of why crime occurs. Theories on crime causations include, but are not limited to, the following: social strain or inequality, biology, conflict, and culture. In addition, crime can be categorized by violent personal crimes, property crimes, occupational (white collar) crimes, corporate crimes, public-order crimes, conventional crimes, organized crimes and professional crimes (Kornblum & Julian, 1995).

As a subset of crime, juvenile crime refers to crimes committed by underage people. Juvenile crime can include any of the aforementioned categories with the exception of corporate and white collar crime, which generally are