Juvenile Delinquency in Israel
RONALD A. MARKMAN M.D.1
1 Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, Los Angeles, Calif. His address is 1001 South Gayley Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif. 90024
Juvenile delinquency rates in Israel have risen dramatically; they appear directly related to ethnic origin and indirectly to immigration. Juveniles of Afro-Asian origin, whether immigrant or Israeli-born, produce the highest rates of delinquency. However, such behavior is delayed for several years after immigration, reflecting what the author believes is the gradual onset of family anomie—a breakdown in family cohesion secondary to adjustment difficulties. Conversely, the absence of family anomie retards the development of delinquency.
