Substance abuse and the use of drugs has become an increasing problem for adolescents. Not only does a young persons attitude affect their rate of falling into the category of substance use, but also their surroundings, as they play an enormous role in their life decisions. Social Disorganization Theory beaks down its definition as the community and a persons surroundings plat a key role with juvenile deviance. Interpersonal problems, along with academia problems show early signs to school teachers and administrators. This paper lays out multiple characteristics that show adolescents’ use of illegal substances is on the rise, through the use of examples of social disorganization theory, with help from credited academic sources such as Bridging …show more content…
Sampson and Groves (1989) brought attention to three hot topics of community social disorganization that also has to do with adolescence and childhood delinquency. The first topic of interest is the community’s ability to watch over and play a role in teenage peer groups, more specifically street gangs. Ways to take control in these groups is by having leisure-tie activity houses such as the Boys and Girls clubs of America. They supply youths a safe place where they are supervised and out off the streets, and can receive role models and care. A second topics as stated by Sampson and Groves (1989) is making sure the youth have healthy, proper friendships and social networks with individuals their own age. These relationships help provide adolescents with the “core element in the social fabric of ecological communities” (Sampson, 1989). The stronger the young peoples social bonds and networks are, the lease likely they are to engage in deviant behavior. The third topic believed by Sampson and Groves (1989) is the rate at which community members involve themselves in voluntary organizations. Community organizations help bring members of that community together. They also help individuals to voice their opinions and discuss problems they are having within their different neighborhoods. …show more content…
They stated that juvenile delinquency, and more importantly juvenile substance abuse, derived from community members inability to have shared values or discuss similar problems, better known as social disorganization. Some researchers have attempted to obtain information regarding social disorganization theory, by examining collective efficacy, which is defined as “social cohesion among neighbors combined with their willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good” (Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls, 1997). Substance use and abuse among youth is a huge health concern in the United States. There are programs available, but having a “underdeveloped rural health prevention workforce” (Williams, Barnes, Holman, and Hunt, 2013), typically limits these programs being readily available as an option. Our rural youth do have serious drug use problems that need to be brought forward not only to scientists, but also to child practitioners (Williams, Barnes, Holman, and Hunt,
...proper guidance and support from such social groups as school and family, juvenile delinquency can come down, and problem youth could lead successful and meaningful lives.
Using pertinent theories of juvenile delinquency, this policy proposal will first highlight areas in the Illinois Juvenile Justice system that are in need of updates and modifications and secondly identify specific changes to be made in the current system. Through the application of rational choice, social control and strain theories along with an analysis of current research in the field, the submitted proposal will present one key policy change that may further reduce the number of juvenile delinquents both now and in the future. The suggested change will include the creation of the Department of Juvenile Outreach, an extension of the city's ongoing efforts at rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. This policy proposal will take into consideration social disorganization and subculture theories to explain juvenile delinquency further. The creation of the Department will coordinate and facilitate community programs and social services aimed at targeting juveniles at-risk of offending or even re-offending. For the purposes of implementation, this policy will also include budget and personnel requirements as well as different measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the suggested changes in reducing criminal activity among juveniles in Illinois and possibly even the United States.
According to the Monitoring the Future study (previously called the High School Senior Survey), in 1996, 50.8 percent of high school seniors reported having used illicit drugs (1996). The study also found that male juveniles arrested for drug offenses had the highest rate of positive drug tests when compared to youth arrested for other types of crimes. Substance abuse and delinquency often share the common factors of school and family problems, negative peer groups, lack of neighborhood social controls, and a history of physical or sexual abuse (Hawkins et al., 1987). Substance abuse is also associated with crimes of violence and income-generating crimes such as robberies in youth. Other social and criminal justice problems often linked to substance abuse in juveniles is drug trafficking, youth homicides, gangs, and
The youth justice system’s functions are to not only regulate the laws and ramifications of crime in the youth population, but to rehabilitate and reintroduce these juveniles into society. Of the three criminological explanations that can shape a juvenile justice system; individual, situational and social structural, social structural implications is by far the most effective ideology in shaping a modern youth justice system. Shaw and McKay (1942) emphasize in their studies that youth deviance is strongly linked to the social structure they belong to. In support of this theory, Cunneen and White (2011) state that crime is a social phenomenon that can not be directly connected to a person’s individual or personal biology. With that being said, there are a number of theories that can be best used to construct a youth justice system from a social structural angle, including; social strain or social disorganization, social bonds and differential association theories. Each of these theories, from their own theoretical angle, can provide framework and ideologies on how to better the youth justice system in a number of facets in order to target modern youths’ social structural and delinquency struggles.
Juvenile delinquency is a conduct by a juvenile or a person below the legal age that is above parental control thus dealt with by the law. Crime in this case cannot be punishable by death or life imprisonment. There are many cases of juvenile delinquency in recent times that have raised many issues in the United State’s legal systems. There are many ways of explaining juvenile delinquency and crime when it comes to; cause, results, and legal actions pertaining to crimes. Alex Kotlowitz in his book, “There Are No Children Here” focuses on crime and juvenile delinquency through life experiences. This story is about the life of two boys who the author researched for a few years. The two boys were from Chicago, grew up in a poor family, surrounded by poverty, gangs, and violence as do many of us who come from low income, minority filled areas. The two boys unfortunately, sad to say end up in juvenile hall which clearly depicts the whole concept of crime and juvenile delinquency that arises from more issues than simply meets the eye . Issues relating to the social disorganization theory of poverty, disorganization, and low community control. This paper will analyze the story using themes that relate to juvenile delinquency and further discuss causes and ways to control juvenile delinquency
Simons-Morton, B.. (2007). Social Influences on Adolescent Substance Use. American Journal of Health Behavior, 31(6), 672-84. Retrieved May 5, 2011, from ProQuest Psychology Journals. (Document ID: 1390074281).
Social Disorganization theory talks about how one’s surroundings impacts the risk of crime around them. The Social Disorganization Theory was developed to show how much a neighbors and its surroundings affect people and crime. There are many factors that go with crime according to the Social Disorganization Theory. One major factor is Ethnic Diversity. According to the Social Disorganization Theory, the more diverse urban areas are, the more likely their is to be crime committed. (Social Disorganization, 2003). The ethnicity of the community affects crime because of the lack of communication. If you have language barriers, and people who do not understand each other, they may be some tension resulting in more crime. Social Disorganization
Thompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
According to life course theory, peers will have a significant influence on delinquent behavior in early adolescence and this influence grows as the primary social environment in which an adolescent functions shifts from parents to peer networks but then diminishes in late adolescence as it shifts to an increased commitment to conventional activities. This explicitly points to a changing pattern of influence within the social institution of peers.
Thompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Lee, G., Akers, R., & Borg, M. (2004). Social learning and structural factors in adolescent substance use. Western Criminology Review, 5(1), 17-33.
The social environment of teens holds an enormous influence on how the teens act and behave. Teens are easily influenced by their surroundings and they look to others for guidance. Their behavior results from that of the parent and peer influences. Parents play a particularly influential role in their child’s life and it is up to them to make sure that they are leading their sons or daughters in the right directions. A teen’s peers also play a large role in how the teen behaves when the parents are not around. A teen’s social environment, consisting of family and peers, plays a vital role in their life, therefore becoming the ultimate cause of juvenile delinquency.
There are a myriad of cultural and societal risk factors that contribute adolescent alcohol and drug use. A risk factor is defined as “any attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or injury”. These risk factors can be identified through family history of substance use disorder, sense of inferiority, pleasure seeking, low self-esteem, unemployment, poor social support, desire to experiment and poor social support (Thomas, N. L., Naregal, P. M., Mohite, V. R., Tata, S. H., Karale, R. B., & Kakade, S. V. (2015).) Risk of drug abuse increases greatly during times of transition, such as changing schools, moving, or divorce. Additional peer risk factors include gang involvement or the reinforcement of negative norms and expectations within peer group, the lack of academic...
One of the reasons why teenagers are involved in social problems is lack of love from the parents. Parents who are busy with works and neglect their children, makes it easier for their children to involve in activities that are harmful and dangerous as a sign of rebellion. Curiosity of the teenagers is another reason why teenagers involved in social problems. This is because they want to know and try something new. Living as a growing adult makes everything is interesting in their eyes. Without parental guidance and moral values, they could not differentiate between good things and bad things. Another cause of why teenagers involved in s...
There is no one certain theory, regarding juvenile delinquency, that can completely distinguish all the determining factors that makes youth turn to crime; although, the study of all these theories and ideas can bring criminologist one step closer to uncovering the truth about juvenile delinquency. Only the further understanding of juvenile delinquency can help the prevention of future juvenile offenders. This paper will focus on the individual factors of delinquency, as well as the social elements, and provide an explanation of how the combination of the two elements may cause children to engage in criminal activity.