Demidova-Petrova, E.V. Modern criminological characteristics of juvenile crime as one of the types of crime.

Abstract: The article provides analysis of juvenile crime within the general system of crime. It is noted that the juvenile crimes has a number of specific features, and they are mostly reflected in the causal complex and motivation for the criminal behavior, influencing its level and tendencies of development. The author provides her own definition of juvenile crime. It is also noted in the article that in the conditions of social, economic and political instability the children are left unprotected. The children more than any other category have felt the downside of democratic and economic changes. The said problems along with some other problems influenced almost all of the families with modest income of parents, as well as the single parent families. Mass alcoholization, narcotic abuse problem among the grown-up and systemic unemployment left the children without normal responsible parents and caring families. The methodological basis for the scientific article was formed by the current achievements of the theory of cognition. In the process of studies the author used general philosophical, theoretical and empiric methods (dialectics, systemic method, analysis, synthesis, analogy, deduction, observation, modeling), traditional legal methods ( formal logic method), and methods typical for specific sociological studies (statistical, expert evaluation, etc.). Due to the specific features of forming psyche, age specificities and lack of social guarantees the juvenile persons easily take up negative traits from their surroundings, which makes this category of persons criminal. Currently one third of crimes against property committed in the streets and other public places involves juvenile offenders. Currently one may also speak of organized juvenile crime, sustained criminal groups. One should also recognize that the number of children starting consumption of alcohol at the very young age (nearly 6-7 y.o.) is growing, the drug addiction and prostitution rate among the juveniles are also growing, and the number of administrative offences committed by juveniles is counted by the hundred thousand.

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