Volume 90 Issue 6  (December) 2007


Content

Articles

Wie allgemein ist die »General Theory of Crime«?
[The Applicability of the »General Theory of Crime«?]

Summary

The study presented here deals with Gottfredson & Hirschi’s (1990) »General Theory of Crime«. It mainly focuses on the theory’s claim of generality which proposes that the theory is appropriate for the explanation of all kinds of deviant behaviour at all times and in all persons by a single personality trait, namely Self-Control. The study is based on five empirical examinations which are subjected to a systematic comparison in order to question the theory’s claim of generality. Each study takes into account various forms of deviant behaviour and analyses the main effects of Self-Control on the frequency of deviant behaviour covering samples from various age-groups. In each of the five studies, Self-Control is assessed using a German version of the Grasmick Scale (Grasmick et al. 1993). By means of systematic comparison, the analyses show that only a few forms of deviant behaviour are influenced by Self-Control. Further, these effects are – according to proportions of explained variance – rather weak and do not display any patterns. As a consequence, the theory’s claim of generality should be reconsidered.

Keywords: Self-Control, deviance, Grasmick Scale, General Theory, risk-seeking

pp. 443-465

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Im Osten was Neues: Täter-Opfer-Ausgleich aus Sicht der Betreiligten
Ergebnisse einer Befragung von jugendlichen bzw. heranwachsenden Tätern und ihren Opfern
[News from the East: Victim-Offender-Mediation from the Viewpoint of the Participants
Findings from a mail survey of juvenile and adolescent delinquents and their victims]

Summary

In comparison with traditional methods of legal punishment, victim-offender-mediation (VOM) offers an alternative element within the German (juvenile) criminal justice system that seeks to provide a sense of restorative justice after a criminal offence has occurred. In estimating the effectiveness and performance of extra-judicial measures like VOM, the subjective opinions of those involved in the process are of particular importance. That said, up until now research conducted in Germany on this matter has been insufficient. Furthermore, the research that does exist focuses almost entirely on the usage of VOM in what were the old West German states. Due to the aforementioned deficiencies, in 2006 the author, in cooperation with three Arbitration Boards in Saxony and Juvenile Court Assistance Dresden, carried out a mail survey of the participants in the process. The survey dealt with the perception and evaluation of VOM after juvenile crimes had occurred.

All in all, the results showed that VOM is a convenient instrument for conflict settlement. In general, the results led to the conclusion that both victims and offenders were largely content with both the overall outcome and the performance of the mediator. Nevertheless, some problems and deficiencies concerning the mediation process were apparent, for example, the relatively high level of dissatisfaction among claimants in relation to reparation agreement. Several aspects were also critically evaluated by the delinquents: most notably the one-on-one conversation with the mediator and the transparency of VOM. In order to fully realise the potential of VOM there is thus a need to optimise the process - especially with regard to the perspective of the young offenders.

Keywords: Victim-offender-mediation, juvenile criminal law, victims, offenders, contentment, survey

pp. 466-483

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Aktuarische Kriminalprognosemethoden und Sexualdelinquenz: Die deutsche Version des SORAG
[Actuarial Recidivism Risk Assessment Methods for Sexual Offenders: The German Version of the SORAG]

by Martin Rettenberger and Reinhard Eher

Summary

This study is part of a prospective, longitudinal research project to evaluate the reliability and validity of different recidivism risk assessment methods for sexual offenders for scientific and practical use in the German-speaking part of Europe. In this paper we present the German adaptation of the Sexual Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG), a specific risk assessment tool for sexual offenders that was developed and published in 1998 in Canada. We examined the interrater reliability, concurrent validity and predictive validity of the German version of the instrument with a sample of 178 male sexual offenders arrested in Austria. The German SORAG showed good results for interrater reliability and concurrent validity. The predictive validity was determined utilizing subgroups of the sample based on each offender`s index offense. The results were predominantly good, but the effectiveness of the instrument varied depending on offender type. The use of actuarial risk assessment methods is helpful for the assessment process, but further research is necessary to know the exact drawbacks and opportunities of these instruments.

Keywords: SORAG, risk assessment, sexual offender, validity, recidivism

pp. 484-497

Conference Proceeding

42. Kriminologisches Kolloquium der Südwestdeutschen und Schweizerischen Kriminologischen Institute

pp. 498-501

Forum

Korruption: Theorie und russische Realität
[Corruption in Russia]

Summary
Corruption is »the abuse of public power for private profit« (J. Senturia). Corruption is a social construction with different manifestations, from bribery to Russian blat (different services for relatives, friends, and acquaintances). Corruption has been rooted in Russia for a long time. In contemporary Russia, corruption is a common practice within all the bodies of power and establishment. Corruption is the most serious problem in modern Russia, because all other problems remain unsolved when anything can be bought and sold.  A complex proposal of measures to reduce the scale of corruption in Russia exists in theory, but there are no real conditions for its implementation: the police, the prosecutor’s office and other law-enforcement bodies are very corrupted themselves. Who will fight corruption?  

Keywords: Corruption, history of corruption in Russia, measures to reduce corruption

pp. 502-513

Coming Events

»It was 29 years ago & it's getting better all the time«
18th Conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law, 2-5 July 2008 in Maastricht

p. 514

Engagierte Bürger - sichere Gesellschaft
13. Deutscher Präventionstag, 2.-3. Juni 2008 in Leipzig

p. 514

Internet-Adresses

Sicher an der Sicherungsverwahrung ist der Irrtum - DVJJ lehnt Ausweitung der Sicherungsverwahrung in das Jugendstrafrecht ab

Masterstudiengänge »Internationale Kriminologie« und »Kriminologie« in Hamburg im Wintersemester 2008/2009

Book Reviews

»Eine digitale Streifenfahrt ...«
Evaluation einer Videoüberwachung beim Polizeipräsidium Bielefeld
Verlag für Polizeiwissenschaften, Frankfurt a.M. 2004, 382 Seiten, € 29.-

pp. 515-517

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Kriminologische Erkundungen
Wissenschaftliches Symposium aus Anlass des 65. Geburtstages von Klaus Sessar
Lit-Verlag, Münster 2004, 282 Seiten, € 29,90

pp. 517-518

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Nationale und internationale Entwicklungen in der Kriminologie
Festschrift für Helmut Kury zum 65. Geburtstag
Verlag für Polizeiwissenschaft, Frankfurt a.M. 2006, 687 Seiten, € 39.-

S. 518-520

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Kriminalität im Lebenslauf
Eine Reanalyse der Tübinger-Jungtäter-Vergleichsuntersuchung (TJTVU)
Tübinger Schriften und Materialien zur Kriminologie, Band 10, 2005, 297 Seiten
(electronical version)

pp. 520-521