The foreign social deviance: problems of measurement and interpretation.

The survey studied the characteristics of foreigners who have been indicted convicted of and imprisoned for crimes in Italy in order to assess if the assumptions regarding foreigners and crime in the literature were valid for Italy as well. Since the 1930s the sociological literature has studied the relationships between migration and criminality: the possible greater criminal proclivity of foreigners than that of natives; the types of crimes committed by foreigners; the different use of detention (less frequent temporary custody to social services for deviant Slav minors than for Italians). One theory on foreigners deviation was advanced by Sellin in 1939 contending that the cultural conflicts caused by the difficulties the foreigners encounter in the host society nourishes immigrants deviation. Young male immigrants tend to be of rural origin with well-established social roles who move to an urban society with different social groups which fosters conflict. A high number of Italians arrested in the US for homicide was linked to the high rate of crimes against persons in Italy in the same period caused by social indifference toward political institutions. The comparison with France and Germany regarding the foreigners social deviation in Italy was based on available information in the last 2 decades. Foreign social deviation was the lowest in Italy owing to the small foreign population. Imprisonment in Italy was high: about 3-5% were indicted and convicted and 13-16% imprisoned. Imprisonment in Germany (with 3-5 times more foreign population) was similar to the Italian rate but 30-40% greater than in France where the foreign presence is similar. The foreigners deviation is a complex subject as it is impossible to follow the individual through the judicial system. In Italy there is a high level of imprisonment of foreigners although their incrimination is similar to that of natives. This is also the finding of the comparison between France and Germany.