REVIEW Social Factors Leading to juvenile Delinquency

According to the White Paper on Crime 1994 published by the Ministry of Justice in Japan, the delinquent rate in Japan was highest when juveniles were approximately 14 to 16 years old, and declined as they grew older. The analysis of juvenile offenders in Japan showed that 70% of them had two living parents, with 90% of them from families which were financially stable or affluent. The breakdown of their parents attitudes showed, however, that 48.2% were classified as neglectful, followed by harshness at 30.3% and spoiling or overprotection at 17.3% in 1993 in Japan. In the following, social factors leading to juvenile delinquency were reviewed. Factors leading to juvenile delinquency were classified into social factors, school factors and home factors, and recent findings concerning those three factors were explained. A fairly clear outlook on the efforts required by society, schools and families to reduce juvenile delinquency was shown by revealing important factors leading juveniles to delinquency. (Keio J Med 45 (4): 287-295, December 1996)