| Abstract [eng] |
Juvenile delinquency is an important social and legal problem. Number of young people involved in offense is growing. According to the data of Prosecution Service of the Republic of Lithuania rates of juvenile crime were decreasing juvenile in 2000-2007, but in 2008 juvenile delinquency increased 6,8 percent compared to 2007 (Juodytė, 2009). The major factors causing youth crime are the following: growing family instability, pervasive alcoholism, declining prestige of education, difficult economic conditions, juvenile unemployment, and perverse approach to behavioural norms enforced by the media. These processes lead to the growing indifference of parents to child-rearing and moral decline. Due to the complexity of the problem, prevention of juvenile delinquency and help to children may be effective only if the impact on children and families consistent with social, legal, educational, financial, and other measures system at all levels and attitudes is ensured. The object of this MA thesis is juvenile delinquency prevention campaigns carried out in Lithuania and their means. The objective of the research is to explore what influence the media has on minors and identify the opportunities to use the media fighting the juvenile crime. The following tasks were set: to analyze the problem of juvenile crime and to discuss the factors that influence and lead to it; to identify juvenile delinquency prevention campaigns undertaken Lithuania and to investigate how they could employ the media; to scrutinize the information on juvenile crime in the media and to assess the role it plays in promoting / reducing juvenile crime. In order to achieve the objectives and to implement the tasks the following methods were applied: literature review and analysis were applied to clarify the causes of juvenile delinquency and to identify prevention options. Qualitative content analysis employing the “Hamlet” programme and qualitative interviews were used to explore how and what measures are utilised aiming to reduce juvenile crime in Lithuania. The thesis is divided into two parts, which are also composed of two sections: theoretical background and research. The first part begins with review of the relevant literature on the causes of negative socialisation of minors. It is followed by two case studies: content analysis in the context of juvenile crime prevention of publications in the internet portal Delfi Street using “Hamlet” programme and content analysis of the TV show “Paskutinė instancija”. Similarly, the second part at the beginning provides an insight what is needed for an effective juvenile crime prevention communication campaign. Then it moves to an in-depth case study of preventive campaign “No Mock” employing content analysis and qualitative interview research methods. |
