Magnusson (1988) and Brofenbrenner (1979) state that social environment in which a person is embedded is essential in the study of their behavior. The theoretical framework of developmental and life course theories of crime allow for the addition of the dynamic element of time and places an emphasis on the longitudinal processes of how the interaction between the individual and his or her social environments constrain and influence behavior. This longitudinal perspective opens up the possibility that the peer social environment is one that is dynamic. Friendships can be added and terminated resulting in the number of friends reported changes from childhood into and through adolescence. Children moving from intimate elementary classroom settings into a broader age range of adolescents in junior high and high school increases the potential for developing friendships with older adolescents. At the same time, the quality of the relationships with these friends may also be changing. Adolescent relationships are becoming more intimate than those of childhood with the sharing of intimate feelings and being aware of the needs of others becoming a prominent feature of friendship during adolescence. However, even though several aspects of the peer social environment may be undergoing transition and change during adolescence it is also during this time that friendships are hypothesized as becoming the most important social context in which an adolescent functions. Accordingly, time spent in the peer social environment occupies the greatest part of an adolescent’s day (Csikszentmihalyi and Larson 1984). If this is the case, a natural question to ask is what happens to the pattern of influence peers have on delinquent outcomes during adolescence? 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. Peer Influence on Delinquency During Adolescence Much of the prior research on the age varying influence of peers on delinquency during adolescence is based on cross-sectional studies which do not explore influence variation across the entire adolescent time frame. It is thus difficult to identify a discernable pattern of influence.
Across the wide body of studies delving into delinquency in America, it is easy to locate research on and analysis of minorities, underprivileged socioeconomic urban centers, and turbulent family structures. However, this leaves a significant section of the delinquent population largely neglected: white middle-class youth. Contrary to the factors shown to affect delinquency in others and the applications of theory applied to them, the issues plaguing this particular portion of adolescents are in many cases entirely unique, suggesting the necessity of a more nuanced approach from angles that have up until fairly recently remained unexplored.
Sampson, R., & Laub, J. (1990). Crime and Deviance over the Life course: the salience of adult social bonds. American Sociological Review, 55(5), 609-627.
Thompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
however, many studies have looked at ways in which why people turn to gangs and why they commit delinquent activities. Therefore, a further examination in how gang membership and being involved with juvenile delinquents is connected to delinquent behavior is explored. Children learn early on right from wrong and they are taught this content from their parents. In addition research have shown the relationship gang members and peers have on the youths of our society. These influences are not always good, in fact results show that when youth joins a gang and become a member they end up committing more delinquent behavior then they did before their involvement. In similar results claims the same to be true for affiliation with delinquent peers. As a society we must be aware of the needs of our youth or more and more youths will choose the friends wrong friends to hang around as well as the wrong group to associate
The principles of criminology typically define “deviance” as a violation of society’s norms, which are subject to criticism or stigmatization within a social system. There is not one set answer as to why the youth turn to criminal behavior, but there are plenty of biological, sociological and psychological theories that can help obtain reasoning and knowledge to better understand juveniles and their decision making. The social learning theory is only one of many theories, which have added insight on the increasing violence amongst juveniles. It essentially implies that criminal behavior is learned through intimate relations with others. It reasserts the idea that children are born with a clean slate of innocence and only become tainted when they are taught bad behaviors. This theory also states that all people have the potential to become criminals at any moment. This is possible because in this modern society, illegally activities are always present. However, individuals have the choice to engage or not in those presented criminal acts. Social learning theory is a general theory of crime and criminality and has been used in research to explain a diverse array of criminal behaviors, including juvenile delinquency. This theory builds from recognizing the significance of delinquent peers, differential definitions of and reinforcement for offending behaviors, and the influence of imitation of peer
Boehnke, Klaus, and Dagmar Bergs-Winkels. "Juvenile Delinquency Under Conditions of Rapid Social Change." JSTOR. Springer, Mar.-Apr. 2002. Web. 05 Mar. 2014
Thompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Families serve as one of the strongest socializing forces in a person's life. They help teach children to control unacceptable behavior, to delay gratification, and to respect the rights of others. Conversely, families can also teach children aggressive, antisocial, and violent behavior. In adults' lives, family responsibilities may provide an important stabilizing force. Given these possibilities, family life may directly contribute to the development of delinquent and criminal tendencies. Parental conflict and child abuse correlate with delinquency. Though not all children who grow up in conflictive or violent homes become delinquent, however, being exposed to conflict and violence appears to increase the risk of delinquency. At this point, researchers have not pin pointed what factors exactly push some at-risk youth into delinquency. A child with criminal parents faces a greater likelihood of becoming a delinquent than children with law-abiding parents. However, the influence appears not to be directly related to criminality but possibly to poor supervision.
In one study, birth complications combined with a disruptive family environment which included such experiences as: maternal separation, marital discord, parental mental health problems… predisposed to delinquency over and above either biological or psychosocial risk factor independently (Werner, 1987). Likewise, Thornberry’s model openly points out that the different variables will have greater effects at specific times. For example he suggests that while around irresponsible peers will have a more negative effect in the mid teenage years rather than other more mature ages. One aspect added by Thornberry beyond any other theory is the idea of reciprocity, which had not been mentioned by others. In fact must criminological research concentrates on the effect of hanging out with similar peers or offending individuals and then start engaging in criminal actions.
The social perspective of human behavior can be applied to juvenile delinquency because it allows the audience to see a situation in a different perspective. The social perspective allows others to “take a walk in another’s shoes.” This may help individuals better understand why someone may deviate against the norms of society.
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.
...why youth engage in criminal activity Research suggests delinquent peers are a proximate cause than family/parental; family/parental may only be a slight cause of involvement in crime. Some research suggests that criminal propensities can be inherited through genes. Unfortunately, the media portrayals of crime aren’t a true representative of the actual crime trends, or accurately reflecting the level of crime perpetrated by youth. There are many different variables that could cause youth to engage in criminal activity, some of these major variables have been discussed throughout this essay.
In 2015 Marquis Wortham wrote an article entitled, “The Affects of Peer Pressure on Adolescents”. According to Wortham, “Peer pressure means, being influence or pushed over by friends\age fellows to do something you do or do not want to do” (p.1). He states that Peer pressure influences teenagers to do things they would not normally do, most of which are negative. High school students are often pressured to have sex before they are ready or else they are “not cool” and at risk of being made fun of by other students.
... fact does matter as a predictor of juvenile delinquency. A national survey of seniors in high school found out that over 90% admitted to have tried alcohol and about 60-70 percent was frequent users (Johnson et al. 1995). Studies have shown that drug use and substance use has gone down in the last 5 years but research has also shown that exposure to peers and friends who use drugs are at higher risk to use and abuse. Reed and Roundtree suggest that peer pressure can be traced to differential association and situational group pressure along with socialization models. This is just an assumption they do not claim it has a direct correlation suggest that theorists have tried to explain criminal behavior through various theories in the past. This cross sectional analysis draws from these models and attempt to see what leads to substance abuse and then causing crime.
Children grow up and move into teenage lifestyles, involvement with their peers, and how they look in other peoples eyes start to matter. Their hormones kick in, and they experience rapid changes in their minds, and bodies. They also develop a mind of their own, questioning the adult standards and need for their parental guidance. By trying new values and testing ideas with peers there is less of a chance of being criticized. Even though peer pressure can have positive effects, the most part is the bad part.