Teenage Criminality in Estonia

• Author: Jaan Ginter
• Pages: 74-75

Jaan Ginter

Teenage¹ Criminality in Estonia

Teenage criminality has been discussed among criminologists far more than the criminality of any other age group. It is possible to suggest different reasons for this:

1. Teenagers are criminally the most active age group. For example in Estonia, the criminal activity of persons aged 16 to 17 years (incl.) was four times higher last year than average;

2. Persons who start their criminal activity as teenagers tend to have long criminal careers;

3. Persons who start their criminal activity as teenagers are more prone to commit more serious crimes during their criminal career than persons who start their criminal activities later, that is, that teenage criminality may be regarded as a seed-bed for adult criminality. This tendency may be explained in two ways: firstly, teenage criminals simply have a longer period of time to commit crimes; and second, teenage criminals become less involved with conventional society and hence become more disposed to criminal behavior;

4. It is believed that there are specific causes of teenage criminality, in that, there are substantial differences between the causes of teenage criminality and adult criminality; and

5. There is much more optimism about the opportunities for reformation of teenage criminals.

For all the above-mentioned reasons, teenage criminality is also a particularly crucial issue also in Estonia.

From the beginning of 1980’s, the Estonian crime rate has varied substantially (see Figure 1). The crime rate increased from 1980 to 1984. In 1985, 1986 and 1987, the crime rate decreased. However, from 1988 to 1992 the crime rate has more than tripled. From 1993 to 1996, the crime rate has been quite stable.

At the same time, the proportion of teenagers among convicted persons has stayed quite stable (see Figure 2). During the years of the most rapid increase in the crime rate (1989 - 1992) however, the proportion of teenagers among convicted persons dropped. It should be remembered of course, that the crime rate and the conviction rate cannot be compared without considering the clearance rate and the ratio of crimes committed per criminal. Firstly, convicted teenagers have committed more crimes per person than convicted adults. However, as the ratio of committed crimes per convicted teenager has remained even more stable, this issue need not be discussed further. Second, the decrease of the proportion of teenagers among convicted persons may be explained...