Delinquency Among Adolescents Assignment 1 Analyze how prevalent delinquency is among adolescents. Be sure to include data to support your position. After that be sure to identify and examine what theory best explains juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency is in an ever-changing state. Juveniles and the rates in which juveniles commit acts of delinquency can differ depending on many factors that are not completely understood. We look to understand why delinquency occurs and in doing so researchers and theorist have developed many theories as to why. In today's society delinquency has shown a decrease in many areas, and criminological theories such as the general strain theory can begin to explain why delinquency happens among juveniles. …show more content…
For example, court information instead of arrest records used to determine how prevalent delinquency is among today's adolescents may show a slightly higher or lower percentage of delinquency. With this information, it is important to take into consideration that not all crimes are reported and not all self-reported crimes are completely truthful. Thus, statistics can vary dependent on where the information is collected from. There are many factors and situations that are considered to be the reasons of why delinquency occurs. Keeping in mind that in the consideration of risk factors with juveniles no single factor can predict who will or will not commit a deviant act (Risk Factors for Delinquency, 2015). Societal causes of delinquency use criminological theories that are said to be the most accurate theories to determine deviance in juveniles and why it happens (Week Two: Theoretical Causes of Juvenile Delinquency, (n.d.). To best explain juvenile delinquency, we look to the general strain theory (GST) as to …show more content…
GST consists of three parts of societal strain in relationships which are: the prevention of one to achieve a positive goal, to remove the positive stimuli, not by choice of the individual, and lastly is the appearance of negative and or bad stimuli to the individual (Higgins, Piquero, & Piquero, 2011). These particular strains can and most often produce an undesirable outcome from juveniles. These negative reactions that juveniles may display can vary and range from fear, frustration, rage, and even anger. To help understand the three parts of societal strain in the GST it helps to take a closer look at each. The first part is the prevention of one to achieve a positive goal. This can include the failure of school projects, the failure of courses, all the way to failing out of school. This is the juvenile thinking he or she should have achieved more. The prevention of achievements of a positive goal like the ones listed can lead to the juvenile to feel they have been wronged in some way and act
The general strain theory hypothesizes that socioemotional problems cause strain in people’s lives and that the accumulation of stressors leads to criminal behavior. According to Agnew (2001), strain events can be characterized as involving “goal blockage, the loss of positive stimuli and/or the presentation of negative stimuli” (p. 323). These events can be seen by an individual as being unjust, undeserved, or threatening, especially for an adolescent. As we look back at the life of Jesse James, we
The study of Juvenile delinquency and the theories pertaining to it are vital for several reasons. In order to more effectively engage with youths and foster positive behavior and schemas, the individuals must first be understood. The study of theory provides a means of understanding adolescents and the factors that lead to or detract from delinquent behavior. In the case of juvenile delinquent, Jordan Brown, theory helps to provide insight into why an eleven-year-old boy murdered his stepmother.
According to Robert Agnew, “Strain Theory is based on the idea that delinquency results when individuals are unable to achieve their goals through legitimate channels, achievement or strike out at the source of their frustration in anger”. (Agnew, R. (1985). A Revised Strain Theory of Delinquency. Oxford journals. 64(1).151-166). The norms are violated to alleviate the strain that accompanies failure. When a good look is taken at the theories the strains might not only come from peoples frustrations with acquiring “ The American Dream”, but it becomes a mixture of strains such as economic deprivation, abuse, neglect, or the loss of a loved one. However, most people that experience strains do not commit crimes.
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.
Agnew, R. (2002). Strain theory and school crime. Of Crime and Criminality (Sally Smith Ed.)
Juvenile delinquency may evolve around many different factors before it becomes a problem for society to solve. Gender and family structure can be a large and underlining cause of why children enter the criminal justice system. By examining the gender and family makeup, one could better understand how to treat a troubled individual.
Across the nation, social scientists and criminologists have researched and hypothesized the main contributing factors that promote juvenile delinquency. The Strain/ Anomie theory introduced by Robert Merton and later revised by several other theorists, attempts to explain why juvenile subculture tend to behave certain ways when confronted with pressures from everyday life. Revised by other theorists, the Strain theory attempts to provide the framework of juvenile delinquency and its sources in order to analyze the effectiveness of this assumption, as well as to implement certain crime prevention policies and programs to curb this problem. This paper is going to analyze how the Strain theory contributes it’s principles of delinquency factors in order to explain and understand juvenile delinquency.
Lundivian, R. J., McFarlane, P. T., & Scarpitti, F. R. (1976). “Delinquency Prevention: A Description And Assessment Of Projects Reported In The Professional Literature.” Crime & Delinquency, 22(3), 297-308.
By definition, anomie is defined as the lack of social regulations within a society that upholds deviant behavior (Akers and Sellers, 174). According to Cloward and Ohlin, delinquency occurs because individuals are presented with the opportunity to do so. However, the strain theory is defined as the result of the lack of social regulations. Strain theory refers to the pressure that delinquent groups are faced with when it comes to taking advantage to the opportunities around them (Akers and Sellers, 175). The opportunities that are often discussed and associated with strain theory are the different types of crimes that an individual is presented with so that he or she can achieve some sort of income. The opportunities are either legal or illegal (Akers and Sellers,
This could explain the effect of strains on crime by taken this theory into account. Once strain causes bonds to weaken amongst conventional groups and institutions such as family, school, and peer networks will open up doors to delinquent behaviors, because by being in these social roles causes the person to regulate by role expectations.
Juvenile delinquency is committing criminal acts or offenses by a young person, generally involving people under the age of eighteen. That is what this research proposal is about. For my research proposal my research question is what can cause or deter juvenile delinquency in first time offenders? I feel that this is an important question to be asking, because in our society there is too much juvenile delinquency and if we can use this research to figure out what can cause and deter this phenomenon then we could sincerely help a lot of adolescents.
Throughout this report a variety of major issues will be discussed, including gender and age, association with antisocial/delinquent peers, family Issues, XYY chromosome, and media/people(s) perceptions. The research indicates that theses are the most influential factors leading to youth engaging in criminal activity. Some other major issues that I haven’t spoken about through this topic are low socioeconomic status, low academic/vocational achievement, truancy throughout schooling, unemployment and boredom.
Juvenile Delinquency refers to a violent or non- violent crime committed by persons who are (usually) under the age of eighteen. There is a debate about whether or not such a child should be held criminally responsible for his or her action. There are many different inside influences that are believed to affect the way a child acts both negatively and positively.
Juvenile delinquency is one of the major social issues in the United States today. Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is when “a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment” (Merriam-webster.com). Although we have one justice system in America, the juvenile system differs from the adult juvenile system. Most juvenile delinquents range from as low as the age of seven to the age of seventeen. Once the delinquent or anyone turns the age of eighteen, they are considered an adult. Therefore, they are tried as an adult, in the justice system. There are many different reasons why a child would commit crime, such as mental and physical factors, home conditions, neighborhood environment and school conditions. In addition, there are a variety of effects that juvenile justice systems can either bad effects or good effects. Finally there are many different solutions that can reduce juvenile delinquency. As a result, juvenile delinquency is a major issue and the likeliness of it can be reduced. In order to reduce juvenile delinquency there has to be an understanding of the causes and the effects.
...play a role in the creation of a juvenile delinquent. One side is not complete without the other; both social and individual elements take part in the forming of delinquents. Every juvenile delinquent has a unique circumstance with its own mitigating factors. There is no theory that will cover the full array of why the children commit crimes, although the use of several theories may make it clearer.