Do not feel lonely, France is not much better. But here, we are smart our authorities' statistics are adjusted to the need. For instance, in the most well-known tourist locations, media ignore robberies, burglaries and minus physical crimes for not scaring the visitors. When living in Orenburg, I saw people playing chess (including myself), dominos and carts until late in the evening, I walked in the streets at any time in the day or night and had no problems. I do not think that I shall do that in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble or even in certain eras of Annecy. Here, I have acquaintances in the police and privately, their statistics are quiet different. Apparently, you, in Russia are improving. Here, with more and more economic difficulties; it is the opposite which take place. Sincerely...JCM

The joys of democracy,see the russians have adapted to western society.Drugs,rape murder and sex ,and poronography,our democracy for other countries to be initiated into.Must fight to have these values adopted in other cultures.

Meslin, I Russia there are six times more people in prision (per 1.000 citizens) than in France...and anyway the level of crime is not smaller. The level of murders (per 1,000 people) is several times higher than in France, or Spain. Almost 40,000 Russians die from AIDS every year in Russia while just 1,600 in France, or 2,000 in Spain, being Russia´s population just over twice France´s. 30,000 deaths in car accidents, 40,000 deaths from AIDS, 800.000 people in jail....that is too much for a nation where population is not increasing. Too many people in bad conditions, with lack of care and afection. Just reduciing the number of deaths (cars, aids) and disabled people to Western European levels would mean half a million more young people in Russia in a decade. And people being in jail at European levels, at least three times less than now (250,000 people in jail...) would save thousands of lifes from a black future. As a lawyer I treat many times with minors in Spain who commit crimes (usually of not much relevance) They have to do community services or spend several weekends in Centers for kids but most can correct their behavour once they grow up. Crimes like a fight with other children, insults to other children (or to parents or teachers), small robberies....all that can be corrected.

Spiritual. When children turn to evil, it is a spiritual dis-ease. The spirit is what we are, in essence, and the breath proves it -- without AIR, there is no life. Spirit is air and when the air is poison (think drugs, alcohol, and the obvious too, THINKING evil), then the children reflect the mirror of a whole human population. It is not Russian nor any other "tribe." It is HUMAN being evil rather than LIVE the forward motion to being a problem solver of life to which understanding, there are no guarantees only the MIND can be clean-whole-firm and allow the BREATH then to breathe health and not insanity. How to fix the problem? Young people need to be REPROGRAMMED from the ancient Pavlovian laboratories in Europe, that has allowed so-called lenders of "money" to harvest the most valuable commodity on earth: future generations' imaginations.

In America and I mean north to south, we seen and I have experience the life in the streets, it happens in every system. Each individual system responds to the problem the same way, the is in a poor manner to say the list. The problem is complex, children need to be guided, supported, stimulated and most of all they need to feel secure and wanted, they need to be in accord with their identety. I spend seven years in the streets from nine to sixten, we can say I got a degree in it! There is very little patience for youg ofenders with in the systems, it must be a community effort, and even individual efforts. We all need to learn a way of earning a living to pay for our needs to conform to soceity. M.R.L.

You can judge the social quality of a country by the incarceration rate of its youth. Schools should  play a strong role in keeping young people off the streets. If children viewed school as a refuge from their parents, abuse, poverty etc. you could hold onto teens and get them through the tumultuous years of  10- 17. If parents are incapable of raising their children well then the state should step in and do the job. It's not rocket science. Children are the lifeblood of a nation and they need to be protected as National Jewels. If the country rallied around the quality of life of its children, schools and families, the nation would be very strong. There is no reason that any nation should fail at this very simple problem. If children are homeless then build dormitories and let schools be their family but above all, do whatever it takes to protect children so that they will be strong citizens for their children and country.