Youth and Crime

Applied Scenario: A teenager repeatedly commits theft and drug offenses despite interventions. Which type of delinquent?

Life-course persistent / chronic offender.

Applied Scenario: A community removes children from bad environments to rehabilitate them. Which historical group does this resemble?

Child Savers.

Applied Scenario: A survey asks 14-year-olds about their own criminal activity. What kind of study is this?

Self-report study.

Applied Scenario: Crime peaks in late adolescence and declines after age 20. What concept explains this trend?

Age-crime curve / aging-out phenomenon.

Applied Scenario: A teen shoplifts after weighing risk vs. reward. Which theory explains this?

Rational choice theory.

Applied Scenario: Court considers a juvenile's ADHD and age before sentencing. Which school of thought is this?

Neoclassical criminology.

Applied Scenario: A teen plans a robbery to harm the victim intentionally. Type of aggression?

Proactive aggression.

Applied Scenario: A child reacts angrily and hits someone who insulted them. Type of aggression?

Reactive aggression.

Applied Scenario: A child steals because legal means to wealth are unavailable. Theory?

Strain theory.

Applied Scenario: A teen conforms to school rules due to strong bonds. Theory?

Social control theory.

Juvenile delinquency

Behavior by a youth under adult age that violates the criminal code.

Legal definition of juvenile delinquency

Behavior by a youth under adult age that violates the criminal code.

Social definition of juvenile delinquency

Broader definition recognizing cultural and group differences; delinquency varies based on social perceptions.

Child Savers

19th-century reformers who believed children are inherently good, blamed delinquency on bad environments, created juvenile courts and houses of refuge, and pushed reform legislation.

Status offense

Behavior illegal only for children, like truancy, curfew violations, running away, drinking, or smoking.

Adolescence-limited offenders

Commit minor delinquency temporarily.

Life-course persistent offenders

Serious antisocial behavior at every life stage.

Dark figure of crime

The gap between actual crime and reported crime.

Hierarchy rule in UCR reporting

Only the most serious offense in an incident is reported.

Victimization surveys

Surveys asking individuals about their experiences as crime victims (e.g., NCVS, NatSCEV).

Self-report studies

Surveys asking juveniles about their own law-breaking behavior.

Trends in delinquency

Males, nonwhites, and lower socioeconomic youth are more involved in serious delinquency.

Chronic offenders

Youth who continue law-breaking into adulthood and commit the most serious offenses.

Psychopathy in juveniles

A personality disorder impairing interpersonal, affective, and behavioral functions; linked to serious delinquency.

Core principles of classical criminology

Free will, rational choice, and proportional punishment; crime occurs when rewards outweigh risks.

Cesare Beccaria's advocacy

Proportional punishment and opposition to cruel penalties.

Media's contribution to delinquency

Media shapes public perception, amplifying fears and influencing societal definitions.

Characterization of juvenile delinquency

Characterized on four continua: duration, frequency, priority, and seriousness of behavior.

Juvenile

A person under 18 years old.

States treating juveniles as adults

Some states may try them as adults for serious offenses.

Historical status of children

Children were treated as property of parents; fear of juvenile crime widened adult-child divide.

Hedonistic calculus

People seek pleasure and avoid pain.

Deterrence theory

Punishment discourages crime: General deterrence = society-wide; Specific deterrence = individual reoffending prevention.

Rational choice theory

Delinquents weigh risks and rewards before acting.

Classical criminology

Punishment based on the act.

Neoclassical criminology

Considers age, mental health, and circumstances.

Free will and juvenile delinquency

Juveniles can make choices, but immaturity, peer pressure, or ADHD limits rationality.

Effectiveness of deterrence-based policies for juveniles

Often limited due to impulsivity and short-term thinking.

Just deserts sentencing

Punishment proportional to the crime, often neglecting rehabilitation.

Psychodynamic theory

Early childhood experiences influence unconscious processes and personality, affecting delinquency.

Behavioral theory

Behavior is learned from social interactions and observation throughout life.

Attachment theory

Strong child-caregiver bonds protect against antisocial behavior.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior in children.

Conduct disorder

Persistent violation of societal norms or basic rights of others.

Psychopathy in youth

Severe personality disorder linked to serious, violent, chronic delinquency.

Reactive aggression

Impulsive, anger-driven aggression.

Proactive aggression

Premeditated aggression to achieve a goal.

Psychological theories and prevention

By targeting internal risk factors with therapy, behavior management, and interventions.

Cultural deviance theory

Delinquency comes from neighborhood influence and passing of criminal values.

Collective efficacy

Mutual trust and willingness among neighbors to intervene for the common good.

Street efficacy

Perceived ability to avoid violence in dangerous environments.

Strain theory

Social inequality creates stress, leading some youth to delinquency to achieve goals.

Social control theory

People are naturally self-interested; delinquency is prevented by bonds to family, school, and society.

Self-control theory (Gottfredson & Hirschi)

Low self-control causes impulsive, delinquent behavior; self-control develops early.

Sociological theories and juvenile justice policy

Policies focus on prevention, intervention, and community programs addressing environmental and family influences.

Differential association theory

Delinquency is learned through social relationships, especially in primary groups like family and peers.

Social disorganization theory

Poverty, residential turnover, and diversity in neighborhoods reduce social control and foster delinquency.

According to Sheldon, individuals with this body type are more likely to be delinquents

Mesomorphs

Deborah Denno found that this environmental factor was a strong predictor of chronic criminality.

Lead poisoning 

This Italian criminologist constructed the first biological theory of crime, focusing on physical appearance.

Cesare Lombroso

Wolfgang found that this group accounts for more than half of all delinquency in a population.

Chronic offenders

According to Cohen, teachers and parents judge children by this standard.

Middle-class measuring rod

In Shaw and McKay’s concentric zones, this zone was known for business districts with high property values.

Inner Zone