Towards Effective Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Strategies and Policies in Abu Dhabi Police

395 Pages·2013·2.11 MB·English

by  Mohamed Al Ali

Towards Effective Juvenile Delinquency
Prevention Strategies and Policies in Abu Dhabi
Police: An Investigation of Critical Factors

A thesis submitted to the University of Stirling for the
degree of PhD in the School of Law

2013

Mohamed Al Ali

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ABSTRACT

Crime and other kinds of anti-social behaviour are viewed as serious social problems.
These issues exist in all countries, but they are especially prevalent within the UAE, a
country that recently has undergone rapid social changes within a short period of time.
There is a vital need to identify appropriate preventive programmes suitable to the
surrounding culture, as well as factors that could lead to effective solutions. Because
there is a deficiency of research on crime prevention within Arab countries, this study
focuses explicitly on the prevention of juvenile delinquency in the UAE. It considers
processes of implementing effective crime prevention strategies, approaches, and
programmes.
This study uses qualitative methods, in the form of document analyses and semi-
structured interviews. The first element of data-gathering is an exploration of the context
of juvenile delinquency and juvenile crime prevention in Abu Dhabi, something which
has not comprehensively been done before. The second part concentrates on participants
from the Abu Dhabi Police force and other organisations involved in preventive work in
the area of juvenile delinquency, in order to obtain extensive and detailed information
about the dynamics of juvenile crime and potential strategies of prevention.
The findings of this research offer several recommendations that could help to implement
successful prevention strategies in the Middle East in general and in the UAE in
particular. This study identifies and explains critical risk factors, and explores the cultural
considerations that must be taken into account when designing and implementing
prevention programmes. It identifies several requirements that should be considered for
the formation of partnerships in the prevention of juvenile crime. It includes some
important recommendations for the Abu Dhabi Police force for its future development
and improvement. It also contains some general recommendations for the Government of
the United Arab Emirates. Further research directions are also suggested, in light of this
study’s findings and its potential limitations.
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DECLARATION

I, Mohamed Al Ali, hereby declare that no portion of the work referred to in the thesis
has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this
or any other university or other institute of learning.

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COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
Copyright of the text of this thesis rests with the author. Copies (by any process) either in
full, or extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the author
and lodged in the University of Stirling. Details may be obtained from the Librarian. This
page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies
made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in
writing) of the author.
The ownership of any intellectual property rights which may be described in this thesis is
vested in the University of Stirling, subject to any prior agreement to the contrary, and
may not be made available for use by third parties without the written permission of the
University, which will prescribe the terms and conditions of any such agreement.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My first thanks go to the greatest Almighty Allah, the Glorious, for his mercy and help.
Without His blessings, none of this work would have been possible.
I extend my sincere thanks to all who have helped and encouraged me during the years of
my research, especially my parents, my wife and my friends. My grateful thanks also go
to my supervisors, Dr. Kay Goodall (principal supervisor) and Prof. Gavin Little (second
supervisor), for their advice, guidance and support in raising the level of my research.

This research is under the guidance of His Highness, Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister who monitors all
security phenomena affecting the safety and security of members of the UAE society and
subjects of this study that sets out to find the reasons behind and lay the necessary plans
to combat and control juvenile delinquency. I extend my thanks to his Highness and to
the Director of his office, Major General, Nasser Al Naimi, for his unlimited support and
encouragement.

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Contents
1 Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................10
1.1 Constructions of Childhood .........................................................................11
1.2 Youth Crime and Antisocial Behaviour ......................................................16
1.3 Importance of Crime Prevention .................................................................20
1.4 Police and Prevention ..................................................................................22
1.5 Crime Prevention Policies ...........................................................................23
1.6 Preventing Juvenile delinquency in the Arab World ...................................25
1.7 Research Problems, Aims, and Objectives ..................................................29
1.8 The Importance of this Study ......................................................................32
1.9 Structure of the Thesis .................................................................................36
2 Chapter Two: Literature Review .........................................................................39
2.1 Crime Prevention Definitions ......................................................................39
2.2 Stages of the Development of Crime Prevention ........................................41
2.3 Theories of Crime ........................................................................................43
2.3.1 Biological and Psychological Theories of Crime ................................ 44
2.3.2 Social Theories .................................................................................... 49
2.3.3 Integrated Theories .............................................................................. 72
2.3.4 Contemporary Theories ....................................................................... 75
2.4 Classifying Types of Crime Prevention .......................................................81
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2.4.1 Situational Prevention.......................................................................... 83
2.4.2 Social Prevention ................................................................................. 87
2.5 Effectiveness of Crime Prevention Programmes .......................................105
2.6 Police Role in Crime Prevention and Partnership .....................................115
2.6.1 Working in a Partnership ................................................................... 118
2.6.2 Some Models of Police Application of the Concept of Crime
Prevention 128
3. Chapter Three: The Geography and Political, Economic and Social
Structures of the UAE ................................................................................................. 139
3.1 The Geography and Political, Economic and Social Situation in the UAE
139
3.2 The Economic and Social Situation in the UAE .......................................143
3.2.1 The Economic Situation in the UAE ................................................. 145
3.2.2 The Social Situation in the UAE ....................................................... 147
3.3 The UAE and Human Rights .....................................................................152
3.3.1 Rights of the Child ............................................................................. 154
3.3.2 Women's Rights ................................................................................. 162
3.3.3 Workers' Rights ................................................................................. 164
3.4 The Criminal Justice System in the UAE ..................................................168
3.5 The Federal Juvenile Act in the UAE ........................................................168
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4 Chapter Four: Methods .....................................................................................175
4.1 Research Aims and Objectives ..................................................................175
4.2 Research Design ........................................................................................176
4.3 Data Collection Methods ...........................................................................179
4.3.1 Documents ......................................................................................... 183
4.3.2 The Interview Method ....................................................................... 186
4.3.3 Sample ............................................................................................... 190
4.3.4 Interviews .......................................................................................... 200
4.4 Qualitative Analysis ...................................................................................210
4.5 Ethical Issues .............................................................................................213
4.6 Validity and Reliability ..............................................................................218
5 Chapter Five: Research Findings and Discussion 1: the state of research on youth
policing in the UAE ........................................................................................................ 223
5.1 Findings 1: The State of Research on Youth Policing in the UAE ...........224
5.1.1 Theme 1: Risk Factors ....................................................................... 225
5.1.2 Theme 2: Government Statistics on Recorded Crime ....................... 237
5.1.3 Theme 3: the Abu Dhabi Police force and crime prevention ............ 249
5.1.4 Theme 4: Partnerships ....................................................................... 263
6 Chapter 6: Research Findings and Discussion 2: Interviews and Analysis ......269
6.1 Research Findings: Interviews ...................................................................269
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6.1.1 Theme 1: Crime Prevention Programmes ......................................... 270
6.1.2 Theme 2: Partnerships ....................................................................... 282
6.1.3 Theme 3: The Abu Dhabi Police ....................................................... 294
6.1.4 Theme 4: Risk Factors ....................................................................... 311
6.2 Discussion ..................................................................................................320
7 Chapter Seven: Conclusions .............................................................................343
7.1 Summary of the Key Findings ...................................................................343
7.2 Implications for practice ............................................................................345
7.3 Contributions to Knowledge ......................................................................353
7.4 Limitations of the Current Findings ..........................................................355
7.5 Strengths of the Current Findings ..............................................................356
7.6 Further research .........................................................................................358

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1 Chapter One: Introduction

My research focuses on a theme judged to be extremely important by many contemporary
scholars: the prevention of juvenile crime. I will begin this chapter by addressing the
constructions of childhood, the importance of the category of “youth,” as well as the
characteristics that make young people susceptible to deviant behaviour. Next, I will
address the seriousness of juvenile crime and antisocial behaviours, as well as their
negative effects upon individuals, victims, families, and communities. Then, I will
illustrate the importance and preferences of prevention, particularly on the part of the
police and the government. I will also explain crime prevention policies and the need for
research to address ways of making such policies effective. I will describe the objectives
and benefits of preventive programmes for young people, including those who engage in
criminal behaviour and those who do not. There is a particular need for studies of Arab
communities in this type of research; and this chapter will elaborate upon the reality of
the prevention of juvenile crime in Arab countries in general and in the United Arab
Emirates in particular, particularly as these regions pass through periods of political,
economic, and social change. This chapter will also explain the research problem and
objectives sought by this study, as well as the particular questions that this thesis seeks to
answer. I will outline the importance of this research for the Arab States, the United Arab
Emirates, the Abu Dhabi Police force, and designers of preventive programmes. Finally,
this chapter will summarise the research and its contents from the beginning of Chapter I
(Introduction) through the end of Chapter VII (Conclusions).
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