Abstract:

Crime refers to behaviors that are deemed illegal and explicitly stated by the legislator. Juvenile delinquency, on the other hand, refers to the commission of a crime by individuals under the age of 18. In many countries, including Turkey, the term juvenile pushed to crime is used instead of delinquent child. This approach highlights that children pushed to crime are also victims themselves. Numerous studies investigating the reasons behind juveniles pushed to crime have identified several key variables. These variables include age, gender, birth order, low income, parents with a low education level, family relationships, broken family structure, a history of criminal behavior in the family, domestic violence, overcrowding in the family, immigration, alcohol and drug use, and association with delinquent peers. Considering this information, the objective of this study was to examine the crime and sociodemographic characteristics of children admitted to correctional institutions in Turkey, considering various factors. The study employed a case study design, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group consisted of 86211 children aged 12-18 who had been pushed to crime between 2011 and 2020. Data for the study were obtained through document analysis from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). The analysis of the results indicated that boys are more likely to be pushed to crime compared to girls, and there has been an increase in the number of juveniles involved in criminal activities in recent years. Examining the distribution of juveniles pushed to crime by the province and region where the crimes were committed, it was found that Istanbul had the highest number of cases, with the Marmara Region ranking first in terms of juvenile delinquency. Furthermore, when considering the types and classifications of crimes committed by children, theft crimes were found to be the most prevalent, with crimes against property ranking highest. At this point, it is important to identify the risk factors to protect children from criminal behavior, to strengthen the necessary preventive services, and to conduct more prospective research in this area.

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