Key Concepts in Juvenile Delinquency

Ego Identity

Firm sense of self and beliefs, as per Erik Erikson

Role Diffusion

Youths' personal uncertainty from spreading too thin, per Erik Erikson

Juvenile Delinquency

Illegal behavior by a minor under statutory age limit

Paternalistic Families

Father's complete control over family matters and members

Status Offense

Acts illegal for juveniles due to age, e.g., truancy, curfew violation

Parens Patriae

State's authority to care for a child as a parent would

Dark Figures of Crime

Undetected crime incidents by police

Racial Threat Theory

Increased social control on minorities with population growth

Chronic Recidivists

Individuals arrested five or more times before 18

Continuity of Crime

Likelihood of juvenile offenders continuing criminal behavior as adults

Routine Activities Theory

Crime as a result of routine activities, motivated offenders, and suitable targets

Co-offending

Committing crimes in groups

Identity Crisis

Inner turmoil and uncertainty about life roles

Cognitive Theory

Psychology branch studying perception of reality and mental processes

Nature Theory

Intelligence inheritance based on genetic makeup

Nurture Theory

Intelligence determined by environmental stimulation and socialization

Culture of Poverty

Lower-class forming a separate culture with conflicting values

Culture Conflict

Values clash between subculture and dominant culture

Stigmatization

Unfair treatment by publicly disapproving

Stigmatized

Negatively labeled due to deviant behaviors

Critical Theory

Intergroup conflict due to unequal wealth distribution as delinquency cause

Racial Threat Hypothesis

Perception of minority threat leading to prejudice and conflict

Jim Crow Laws

Segregation laws in the southern US post-Civil War