PRESENT STATE AND CAUSES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN RUSSIA

Abstract

Objective. The authors attempted to understand the causes of criminal acts of adolescents in modern conditions in order to develop new doctrinal approaches to children’s illegal behavior prevention. Research methods. Methods of systemic analysis, synthesis, scientific modeling, as well as statistical and comparative-legal methods are employed as the leading methods of studying the problem. The state of juvenile delinquency is analyzed, and its dynamics has been studied. Results of the research. It has been proved that juvenile delinquency is stable in modern conditions and will continue to be stable in the years to come. The formation and active performance of mixed criminal groups of adolescents and adults is observed (in 2017, 19,889 juveniles committed group crimes), in which minors increasingly perform active criminal roles (use weapons or improvised weapons, choose violent means of committing crimes, provide physical resistance to law enforcement officials). The proportion of female juvenile offenders is 9.8%. Theoretical / practical significance. From the perspective of new approaches in science, the article gives a moral, criminological and legal assessment of juvenile delinquency, its impact on crime in general. New scientific views allow us to formulate the most effective ways to combat juvenile delinquency. Novelty. The empirical data obtained by the author’s team revealed the most common factors affecting juvenile delinquency in modern conditions.