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Understand how juveniles have a different experience than adults
js have a different position in society. less power in society than adults. js are most likely being cared for by an adult. Js have far less decisions about their life experiences than any group. School is their primary focus.
Normative conception of delinquency
assumes that there is a general set of norms of behavior, conduct, and conditions with which we can agree
Folkways
everyday norms that do not generate much uproar if they are violated
Mores
"moral" norms that may generate more outrage if broken
social constructionist conception
assumes that the definition of deviance is constructed based on the interactions of those in society
Critical Conception
the conception of deviance that critiques the existing social system that creates norms of oppression
cradle to prison pipeline
refers to the many issues for children that make it more likely they will become incarcerated at some stage in their lives. These issues include pervasive poverty, no health coverage, gaps in childhood development, disparate edu. opp., abuse, neglect, mental & emotional problems, substance abuse, etc.
Status offenses
acts that are not considered crimes for which adults cannot get into trouble but society does not want juveniles doing.
ascribed category
a category that an individual is born into and cannot change
achieved category
a flexible category that individuals may be able to move in and out of
social inequality
the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society
individual racism
when one person discriminates against another on the basis of race or ethnicity
Individual Classism
prejudice or discrimination based solely on someone's class
individual sexism
prejudice or discrimination based solely on someone's sex
institutional racism
racism that occurs when individuals are disadvantaged because of their race because of the routine workings of social institutions
institutional classism
classism that occurs when individuals are disadvantaged or oppressed because of their class because of the routine workings of social institutions
institutional sexism
sexism that occurs when individuals are disadvantaged or oppressed because of their sex or gender because of the routine workings of social institutions
social constructionist conceptions of delinquency
popular ideas about delinquency that are created and influenced by social, political, and economic factors and that change over time
Houses of Refuge
institutions developed in the United States in the early 19th century to house children who were poor and steer them away from pursuing a life of crime
Moral Panic
heightened concern over an issue that is not in line with its seriousness or frequency of occurrence in the world
Sample
small group
random sample
each individual in population has equal chance of being selected
inductive reasoning
reasoning from detailed facts to general principles
deductive reasoning
reasoning from general to specific
Hypothesis
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory
quantitative data
data that are measured or identified on a numerical scale
qualitative data
data that are descriptive in nature that can be observed rather than measured
participant observation
a qualitative method for gathering data that involves developing a sustained relationship with people while they go about their normal activities
Ethnography
a qualitative method that studies a subject through the use of interviews to get an in-depth look at their life and their interactions with delinquency
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
official data in the form of crimes known to the police or arrests collected by the FBI
clearance rate
the rate that a certain crime category is closed because of arrest or exceptional means
arrest rate
know the clearance rate bc of the arrest rate. the number of arrests per 100,000 persons
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
a reporting system that houses data on incidents, both crimes known to police and arrests
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
the primary US source of data on criminal victimization
Self-Report Surveys
a data collection method in which respondents select the responses themselves, usually in questionnaire format
ecological fallacy
the mistake of making an inference about an individual based on aggregate data for the group
Violent Crime Index
The rate of crimes reported in the Part I offenses
General delinquency trends
peaked in 1996. gone down over the years.
Monitoring the Future Study
One of the best-known sources of data related to teen drug use today; a University of Michigan study that surveys around 50,000 youth about their drug use patterns in middle and high schools in Grades 8, 10, and 12 across the United States and then one more time the year after they graduate.
Main themes regarding delinquency rates across race, class, and gender
went down over years. girls commit less than boys
Main findings from Girls Study Group
girls appeared to be more violent in the UCR but did not hold up when examining NCVS or self-report data.
micro-level theories
focus on the characteristics of the individual or social processes that have an effect on individual-level behavior
Normative Theory
Assumes that there is a standard or agreed-upon set of societal norms that everyone knows and can, therefore, live by
Social Contract
citizens agree to follow the rules or laws set forth by society in return from protection from harm
certainty of punishment
The most important element of deterrence. The assumption that if individuals perceive a high likelihood of being caught and punished for a crime, they will not engage in it
celerity of punishment
the element of deterrence that assumes that the faster a punishment occurs, the more likely an individual will not engage in that behavior in the future
severity of punishment
The assumption that punishment must be harsh enough to outweigh the benefits of the crime, but not so harsh that it is perceived to be unfair.
biological determinism
the view that biology is responsible for criminal behavior
environmental determinism
the view that one's environment or experiences are responsible for criminal behavior
differential association
the learning of behaviors and norms from the groups with which we have contact
positive reinforcement
a reward that reliably follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated
negative reinforcement
an event that, when removed after a response, increases the likelihood of that response occurring again
positive punishment
a punishment thats is used to decrease a behavior
negative punishment
Something is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
social bonds
bonds to conformity that keep us from engaging in socially unacceptable activities
Attachment
emotional tie with another person
commitment
weigh the coasts and benefits of behavior
involvement
the component of the social bond that suggests the more time one spends engaged in conforming activities, the less time one has available to deviate
belief
a descriptive thought that a person holds about something
life course theory
a theoretical perspective that considers the entire course of human life (from childhood, adolescence, and adulthood to old age) as social constructions that reflect the broader structural conditions of society
trajectory
classification of individuals according to their patterns of offending over time
transition
short-term changes in social roles within long term trajectories
techniques of neutralization
rationalizations used by individuals in order to engage in delinquency
denial of responsibility
the belief that outside forces compel a person's behavior, and thus the person refuses to take responsibility for his or her actions
denial of injury
a neutralization technique in which the person denies that anyone has been harmed by her or his actions
denial of the victim
a neutralization technique in which a person justifies his or her behavior by stating that the person who was victimized deserved it, or that because of circumstances, the delinquent act committed needed to occur
Condemnation of the condemners
a neutralization technique in which a person tries to turn the tables on those who condemn or disapprove of his or her behavior by condemning them
appeal to higher loyalties
a neutralization technique in which a youth who has committed a delinquent act justifies it on the basis of a higher calling or purpose
Basic themes of child poverty (who is impacted, race differences)
Child poverty rates have decreased in the last decade. Poverty rate is 2.5 to 3 times higher for Black and American Indian youth than for white youth. 2 times higher for latino than white children.
Understand the basic concepts of changing definition of youth over time
During the ancient times youth were often treated and punished in ways that were comparable to those of their adult counterparts. Youth were treated as the property of their fathers, corporal punishment was common, and youth were often beaten harshly. Around the Middle Ages there was still very little distinction between youth and adults. Once a child was around 7 years of age they were sent off to work the crops as their oral communication skills were considered sufficient enough for many of the daily tasks of the adult world. During the Colonial Period youth were seen as developing but it wasn’t emphasized enough. There was a labor shortage so young people were forced to do adult jobs and most women or young girls were told to become a domestic servant or wife. Once they turned 7 years old they developed Mens rea.
Understand how youth have been labeled over time
Due to the industrial revolution more youth were out on the streets in need of jobs as most did not attend school regularly. The term Juvenile delinquency came to be as many middle class privileged individuals became concerend with the poor social class kids running around the streets causing trouble.
Social Reformers
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). They created “poor farms” where poor children and adults were housed instead of being on the streets in order to discipline them and keep youth out of adult prisons. Houses of refuge meant to “save” youth who had not been fully corrupted. Wanted to teach youth the value of hard work and responsibility through religious and moral instruction.
Creation of juvenile justice system
In the late 1800s, the concept of adolescence began to be utilized as an extended period of childhood. Child labor laws were implemented to prevent children from working and going to school instead. First juvenile court in 1899 in Cook County, Illinois and by 1925 all but two states had their own juvenile court. Idea was youth are different from adults and while they are developing they need protection by and from adults. Purpose was to address the needs and behaviors of youth who had allegedly misbehaved (delinquent youth) and those who were in need of care because they had been neglected, abandoned, or abused (dependent and/or neglected youth). Allowed to state to intrude upon family and created status offenses.
Moral panics example
News/media exaggerating information about delinquency
Biological
Biology is responsible for criminal behavior. Eugenics, craniometry, phrenology, 3 body types (Endomorphic, ectomorphic, mesomorphic)
Psychological
ID, ego, superego. ID is impulsive and lives in the individual’s unconscious. The ego is the decision-making element of personality. The superego is where an individual’s conscience resides. Manifest delinquency (became and action) Latent delinquency (not yet performed but still in the mind/unconscious)
Biosocial
Says that brains aren’t fully developed and that is why children are impulsive. Bad diet effects delinquency. Research on the effect of testosterone on aggressive or delinquent behavior has found that social class and environmental conditions may be mediating factors.
Self control theory
Most likely, low self-control develops from an “absence of nurturance, discipline, or training.”57 In other words, the major cause of low self-control is bad parenting or ineffective childrearing. But Gottfredson and Hirschi are emphatic in their assertion that low self-control is not actively created; it is what happens in the absence of socialization, not in the presence of socialization.
Power control theory
he more freedom people have to act and the less social control upon them, the more likely they will break norms and commit common acts of delinquency. we should expect that boys from the highest social classes have the most ability of youth as a whole to deviate from societal norms. First, they stated that youth who are under strict parental control are less likely to acquire a taste for risk taking and more likely to perceive that they will get in trouble if they commit an act of delinquency. Second, the authors hypothesized that girls are more likely than boys to be taught in the home not to break the rules and to be scared of punishment.
General Strain Theory
There are 3 main causes in strain theory like: The failure to achieve goals, loss of positive stimuli, presentation of negative stimuli which all cause negatvie emotions and lead to delinquency. Agnew is careful to point out that not all individuals respond to strains with crime and delinquency, and, in fact, most people cope in legal and conforming ways. There are many possible coping strategies, including behavioral coping, cognitive coping, and emotional coping.
At risk youth
young people who are extremely vulnerable to the negative consequences of school failure, substance abuse, and early sexuality
parens patriae
state has authority over juveniles in need of protection
In loco parentis
in place of parents; the state may act as a parent
UCR definition and limits
UCR was based on arrests. Limits: only reported crimes considered
NIBRS def and limits
NIBRS had more detailed reports. Limits: only reported crime
NCVS definition and limits
NCVS includes last 6 months if victimized/ LImits: over/under exaggerated scenarios, Domestic violence, people don’t fill it out
SRS definition and limits
SRS reports crimes committed anonymously. Limits: not everyone takes survey
Juvenile delinquency trend
Overall number of offenses and offenders have been in decline. In 2020 juveniles made up 6% of all arrests
Age and delinquency
Curvilinear. Crime low beginning and end of life. Majority of juveniles arrests are 15-17 years old. Early onset includes most likely to become carrer criminals. Boys 4 times as likely to commit delinquent acts.
Time and place of delinquency
Summer, large urban areas, west and south have higher rates than midwest and northeast
Learning theories
Criminal behavior is learned and what you are learning more of will determine whether you commit crime or not
