Family's education and socio-economic status are decisive in crime!

Prof. Dr. Abdullah Karatay, Faculty Member at Üsküdar University Department of Social Work, provided information on the likelihood of children raised in child education homes and grown up in criminal environments getting involved in crime in the future. Prof. Dr. Karatay pointed out the similarities in the socio-economic status of children involved in crime staying in child education homes in Turkey, indicating that the educational level and socio-economic status of families are significant factors in children being drawn into crime.

Not "criminal child" but "child drawn into crime"

Karatay stated that in Turkey, the term 'child education home' has started to be used instead of 'reformatory' for institutions housing children involved in crime and convicted. "The concept of 'criminal child' has also largely given way to the concept of 'child drawn into crime'. It is accepted that children, not having completed their development and lacking full criminal capacity, are pushed into crime due to environmental factors or the influence of their current structure. For this reason, a special judicial and execution system has been developed for children. Child-specific investigation (child police), judicial proceedings (child court), and execution system (child education home) have become an inseparable part of the system," he said. 

Prof. Dr. Abdullah Karatay stated that child education homes house children aged 12-18 whose sentences have been finalized as a result of judicial proceedings. "More than punishing or executing the sentences of the children staying in these places; the aim is to educate them, help them acquire a profession, and reintegrate them into society as a security measure. These institutions are defined as facilities where rehabilitation, in line with universal rules, is attempted for children as individuals who are not yet adults," he said. 

The main problem is socio-economic

Prof. Dr. Abdullah Karatay noted that almost all (91.2%) of the children staying in child education homes are between 15-17 years old. "In the ranking of regions their families come from, the Southeastern Anatolia Region ranks first with 27.4%, followed by the Marmara Region with 20%. A striking point is that these children come from families with low literacy and belonging to low socio-economic groups. For example, 35% of these children's mothers are illiterate, and 73.4% of their mothers do not work in any income-generating job. These data show that the reasons for children being drawn into crime in Turkey can primarily be explained by structural reasons such as socio-economic factors," he stated. Karatay also stated that the same situation is observed when looking at the crimes children are involved in. "According to 2021 data, 49.8% of children were brought to security units for theft and 17.5% for robbery," he said.  

Emphasis should be placed on "preventive measures" to prevent children from encountering crime 

Karatay stated that children pushed into crime and staying in child education homes experience serious psychological problems after entering these institutions, and continued his words as follows:  

"A study found that at least 35% of children in child education homes experience depression due to their isolation from their families and the general protective system. Furthermore, children staying in such collective institutions eventually adapt to this subculture through peer dynamics and develop tendencies towards committing crimes. Research also shows that 71% of children involved in crime for a second time have a previous prison record. This indicates that the rehabilitation success of these institutions is weak and primarily highlights the importance of focusing on "preventive measures" to ensure children do not encounter crime in the first place." 

Children being drawn into crime can be prevented 

Karatay stated that children can show a tendency to re-engage in crime because they are exposed to 'secondary socialization' processes in closed institutions. "68.6% of children are re-involved in the justice system and receive punishment within one year after being released from prison. The main reason for this is the inadequate and ineffective guidance, employment, and social assistance systems of protection committees after prison or child education homes. Specifically, there is no mechanism offering psychological support," he said. 
Prof. Dr. Abdullah Karatay concluded his words by providing information from research on preventing children from being drawn into crime:  
Karatay emphasized that efforts are made for children staying in child education homes to acquire a profession and remain in education, "even, on the condition that they continue their education, children can stay in education homes without special escape prevention measures, not in closed prisons, until they are 21 years old.

Research indicates that the family does not have a direct influence on a child's involvement in crime; rather, friends or peer groups are more influential. This suggests that children being drawn into crime can be prevented. The fact that involvement in crime can be prevented through social service interventions such as child tracking and rehabilitation is extremely important," he said. 

Editor's Note: As of 2021, there are 4 child education homes and 7 closed penal institutions for children in Turkey. Child education homes are located in Ankara, Elâzığ, Istanbul Anatolian side, and İzmir, while child and youth-type penal institutions are in Ankara, Diyarbakır, Hatay, Istanbul Anatolian Side, İzmir, Kayseri, and Tarsus. In these institutions, there are currently a total of 528 convicted children (508 male, 20 female) aged 12-18; and a total of 1,030 detained children (992 male, 38 female) in prisons. According to data from the end of April 2021, the total number of children in prisons is 1,558.