Authors

• 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, schoolchildren, teacher-student relationship, theft, traffic offences, youth

Abstract

The survey charts self-reported juvenile delinquency, experiences of crime victimisation, and attitudes to crime. The respondents' were asked whether they had played truant, run away from home, driven a car or motorcycle without a driving licence, drawn graffiti on walls, damaged property, shop-lifted, stolen from school or home, bought stolen goods, stolen a car, bullied someone, been in a fight, beaten somebody up, taken drugs or misused legal medication, or driven drunk.

If the respondents admitted to having committed any of the above-mentioned offences, and if the offence was illegal, they were asked whether the police had found out about it. In addition, they were asked whether they had committed the offence during the past year, whether they had acted alone, whether they were drunk at the time and whether somebody had found out about it. The respondents were also presented with specifying questions, for example, what kind of things they had shop-lifted. The survey also studied whether teachers are bullied at school.

The respondents' attitudes to other people, to breaking the law, and to reasons for breaking the law were examined. Their self-perceptions and relationships to own parents, teachers and adults in the neighbourhood were queried on with attitudinal statements. The respondents were also asked whether they had been victims of violence or theft.

Background variables included respondent's gender, age, alcohol use, leisure time activities and company, dating, plans after lower secondary school, need to repeat a year in school, parents' occupation and economic activity, and household's financial circumstances. The data includes two different variables denoting municipality type.