Delinquency and Juvenile Justice: Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and their definitions from the lecture notes on juvenile offenders, offenses, and related concepts.

Delinquency

Acts by a juvenile that violate the law or social norms; measured using legal definitions (official labeling) or behavioral definitions (the act itself, regardless of labeling).

Juvenile justice system

The network of agencies (police, courts, corrections) that process juvenile offenders with emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation rather than punishment alone.

Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC)

The unequal rate at which minority youths enter contact with the juvenile justice system compared with nonminority youths, influenced by bias, policies, and system practices.

Behavioral profiling

A clinical/psychological approach that uses deductive analysis of crime evidence to infer an offender’s characteristics and motives.

Statistical profiling

An actuarial, inductive method that uses statistical averages of known offender characteristics to predict risk and guide prevention efforts.

Risk factors

Variables across domains (family, school, peers, community, economy) associated with a higher likelihood of delinquency.

Family socialization

The process by which the family transmits values, attitudes, and behaviors that shape a child’s development and potential delinquency risk.

Single-parent home

A family structure with one biological or legal parent; research shows mixed associations with delinquency depending on context and family processes.

Latchkey children

School-age children left unsupervised after school due to parental work schedules, sometimes engaging in risky behavior.

Family disorganization

Instability or dysfunction in the family that undermines supervision and support, linked to higher delinquency risk.

Education and delinquency

The interplay between schooling and delinquency—school climate, achievement, labeling, and teacher expectations can influence or reflect delinquent behavior.

Labeling theory

The idea that being labeled as delinquent can influence a youth’s self-identity and lead to further delinquent acts.

Learning disability

Learning or behavioral disorders that place youth at greater risk for juvenile justice involvement, though not causally determinative; require appropriate supports.

Bullying

Repeated aggressive behavior intended to harm another with a power imbalance; varies by gender in form (physical vs. cyberbullying) and is a school concern.

Opioid epidemic

Widespread misuse of prescription opioids (and related overdoses); linked to health and social problems, including potential delinquency risk.

Age of jurisdiction / Age ambiguity

The minimum age at which youths fall under juvenile court jurisdiction; varies by state and can create ambiguity about who is prosecutable.

Safe harbor laws

Laws intended to prevent charging minors (typically under 18) with prostitution, treating them as victims and connecting them to services; varies by state.

Prostitution of minors

Underage prostitution; often seen as victimization requiring different legal and service approaches (diversion, protection, or reform).

Official statistics

Data collected by criminal justice agencies (arrests, dispositions, placements); useful but limited by underreporting, bias, and not capturing all offenses.

Self-report studies

Research where youths report their own delinquent acts; often reveal more activity than official stats but are subject to recall and honesty biases.

NCVS (National Crime Victimization Survey)

A household-based survey measuring crime victimization, including crimes not reported to police; used to compare with official police data.

UCR (Uniform Crime Reports)

FBI’s official crime data based on offenses known to police and dispositions; historically arrest-based and subject to reporting biases.

NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System)

An incident-based FBI data system collecting detailed information on each crime occurrence, expanding beyond the old UCR framework.

Race and delinquency / DMC variation

Racial disparities in arrest rates and outcomes; influenced by socioeconomic context and environmental factors, contributing to DMC.

Intersectionality

The overlapping of age, gender, race, class, and other identities, creating compounded marginalization and influencing delinquency risk and treatment.

Legal definitions of delinquency

Delinquency defined by statutes and court labeling; varies across time and jurisdictions, complicating comparability.

Behavioral definitions of delinquency

Delinquency defined by actual conduct violating laws, regardless of whether the youth is formally labeled; broader and often more comparable across places.

Official statistics limitations

Arrests and dispositions may not reflect actual delinquency; many offenses go unreported or unadjudicated, and data collection varies by agency.

Social class and delinquency

The complex relationship between socioeconomic status and delinquency; official stats may over- or under-represent certain groups depending on detection and reporting.

Underclass

A concept describing extremely poor populations with limited access to employment and resources, often linked in theories to higher delinquency risk.

Learning environment and school climate

School conditions, support, and expectations that can influence academic success and delinquency risk, including risk of dropout.