Understanding and Preventing Recidivism of Young Offenders in Argentina

• In Event: Examining Offending, Victimization and a Rehabilitative Approach for Those Most Affected

Abstract

This paper addresses a gap in the literature of “what works” regarding the prevention of juvenile delinquency and recidivism, both quantitatively and qualitatively in understudied contexts. A total of 128 young people who had committed offences in Argentina (about aged 16) were followed-up for a two-year period and their narratives were examined. The process of desistance was evidenced in the general features of these narratives. These were: (1) a rupture with the previous criminal identity; (2) the desire to close a stage of life associated with crime and to develop a “conventional” life; (3) confidence in maintaining the conventional life to which they aspire. Conversely, persistence narratives showed three general features, namely (1) an inability to build an alternative identity to the criminal one; (2) delinquency becoming a vital option, where not to commit a crime again is seen as a last option; (3) difficulty in defining strategies that avoid the factors that lead to committing crime. We propose a national strategy of early prevention based on our main quantitative and qualitative findings for juvenile offenders in the lesser-studied context of Argentina, understood through a socio-cultural lens. Furthermore, we consider innovative methods for the prevention of recidivism by young offenders.

Authors

• Mirian Orlando, National Criminal Law Court of Argentina

• David P. Farrington, University of Cambridge