Authors

• Aromaa, Kauko (National Research Institute of Legal Policy (Optula))
• Kivivuori, Janne (National Research Institute of Legal Policy (Optula))

Keywords

adolescents, alcohol use, assault, bullying, crime victims, criminal damage, disorderly conduct, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, offences, punishment, schoolchildren, theft, traffic offences, youth

Abstract

The survey studied the extent, frequency, and nature of self-reported offending among young Finns. The main topics were truancy, running away from home, fare evasion, driving without a license, making graffiti on the walls, vandalism at school, vandalism outside of school, stealing from a store or a kiosk, stealing phase, stealing from school, stealing from home, buying stolen goods, bullying, taking part in a fight, beating up somebody, use of mild drugs, use of pills and drink-driving. The respondents were asked whether they had ever been involved in any of these activities and if they had and the activities had been illegal, whether the police had become aware of what had happened. In addition, the respondents were asked when they had started the activity in question, and whether they had been involved in it during the past year. If the respondents answered in the affirmative, they were asked if they had been alone or with somebody at the moment, and whether they had been caught. The respondents were also asked topic-related questions like what they stole from a store, or what the reason for bullying had been.

In the survey, all respondents were asked about their opinions about various propositions. Among others, the following topics were dealt with: mitigating punishment due to circumstances, how normal or common illegal activities were in puberty, causes of criminality, and the seriousness of petty theft as a crime. Furthermore, the respondents were asked whether they would in the future do some or any of the following forbidden things: truancy, fare evasion, petty theft, theft, mild assault and battery, or use of a mild drug. The respondents were also asked whether they thought it was normal that a young person breaks the rules set by their parents, the rules of the school, or the law. In the survey, the respondents were also asked about the severity of various punishments (house arrest, imprisonment, fine) in a situation where a young person had broken the law.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, school id, employment, how R liked going to school, how many times R had had to repeat a year in school, professions of the parents and their current employment situation, family relationships, use of money, leisure time activities and company, use of alcohol, and smoking.