Year: 2008
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Rising crime rates among the youth in South Africa is a major problem.In the Western Cape this concern is particularly urgent and is compounded by issues relating to gangsterism and drugs.This study analyses why youth offenders, based at Lindelani become involved in crime and how they subsequently see their future.The first part of the study reviews theories of crime and deviance, such as the classical school of criminology, psychological, biological and sociological explanations of crime.The usefulness of the criminological developmentalist approach toward identifying risk factors statistically correlated to the perpetration of crime is discussed.Common factors associated with crime in the South African context are identified including family, peers, gang, drug, school, media and neighbourhood related factors as well as the absence of spirituality.Thereafter the literature associated with the development of aspirations, life goals and the concept of possible selves is explained.The relationship between possible selves, aspirations and life goals are discussed and details regarding how possible selves influence delinquency are presented.Following the theoretical analysis, the problem of crime in South Africa with reference to the youths interviewed is outlined.The strategies pursued by government to combat crime are discussed and the effective potential of these approaches are evaluated.An overview of government's policy toward youth in South Africa is given followed by specific reference to the issues surrounding youth and crime in the Western Cape, with explicit reference to the Cape Flats and gangs.This provides the background to the Lindelani case study.An overview of the operations and challenges facing Lindelani Place of Safety and the profile of offences typically committed by youth are given.Hereafter the findings are presented.The findings are divided into two sections; the first explores the life world of youth at Lindelani by discussing why youth in the Western Cape perpetrate crime and identifies factors that are associated with their involvement.The findings report on the influence of family and household structure, peers, neighbourhood environment, gangs, drugs, school, media, perceived aptitude of youth offenders, role models and spirituality.Section two presents the findings regarding the possible selves, life goals and aspirations of the youth.The general aspirations, possible selves, family aspirations, friendship, neighbourhood, spiritual, educational and occupational aspirations are explored.The study thereby presents the voices of these young offenders.OPSOMMING Die stygende omvang van misdaad onder die Suid-Afrikaanse jeug is kommerwekkend.Hierdie vraagstuk verlang veral dringend aandag in die Wes-Kaap, siende jeug-betrokkenheid met dwelms en bendes baie algemeen is.Hierdie studie ondersoek redes waarom jeugdiges, aangehou in Lindelani, betrokke raak by misdaad asook hul toekomsvisie.Die eerste deel van hierdie studie verskaf 'n oorsig van teorieë betreffende misdaad, onder meer die klassieke siening van kriminologie asook sielkundige, biologiese en sosiologiese redes vir misdaad.Die bruikbaarheid van die ontwikkelende kriminologiese benadering om risiko faktore te identifiseer wat statisties korreleer met die pleging van misdaad, word bespreek.Faktore wat algemeen geassosieer word met misdaad in die Suid-Afrikanse konteks is geidentifiseer en sluit onder ander in: die familie, groepsdruk, bendes, dwelms, skool, media, buurt verwante faktore, asook die afwesigheid van geestelike waardes.'n Oorsig word vervolgens gegee van literatuur wat verband hou met die ontwikkeling van aspirasies, lewensdoelstellings asook die konsep rondom die moontlike alternatiewe idetitietsontwikkeling.Die verband tussen moontlike alternatiewe identiteite, aspirasies en lewensdoelwitte word bespreek ten einde besonderhede te bied hoedanig moontlike alternatiewe identeite oortredings kan beinvloed.Na die teoretiese analise, word die teenswoordige probleem van jeug misdaad in Suid-Afrika geskets na aanleiding van die onderhoude gevoer in Lindelani.Die regering se strategieë om misdaad te beveg word bespreek en die effektiewiteit van hierdie benaderings word geevalueer.'n Oorsig van die regeringsjeugbeleid in Suid-Afrika word gegee en word opgevolg deur spesifieke verwysings na die jeug en misdaad in die Wes Kaap met klem op die Kaapse Vlakte en bendebedrywighede.Dit het die agtergrond verskaf vir die Lindelani gevallestudie.'n Oorsig word gegee van die aktiwiteite en uitdagings wat Lindelani Place of Safety in die gesig staar asook 'n profiel van die tipies oortredings wat deur die betrokke jeugdiges gepleeg word.Vervolgens word die bevindinge van die ondersoek aangebied.Die bevindinge word in twee dele verdeel; die eerste ondersoek die lewenswêreld van die jeug in Lindelani, en bespreek die redes waarom Wes-Kaap jeugdiges in misdaad verval.Faktore wat geassosieer kan word met misdaadbetrokkenheid word dan ook geïdentifiseer.Die bevindinge bespreek sekere van die invloede wat betrokke is, naamlik familie en gesin strukture, portuurgoepe, buurt-omgewings, bendes, dwelms, skool, die media, houdings van jeug oortreders, rol modelle en geestelike waardes.Die tweede deel bied aan die bevindinge omtrent alternatiewe identieite, lewensdoelwitte en aspirasies van die jeug.Algemeen aspirasies, alternatiewe
Author: Reinhold Treptow
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2141486871