According to labeling theory, people in the society are influenced and behave in certain ways due to labels put on them by other people. People in the society who are associated with undesirable behavior such as substance abuse tend to accept how the society labels them which actually make them behave undesirably. Recidivism by definition refers to the likelihood or the tendency of a delinquent to re-offend. The rates of recidivism have always been high, especially in the past. In juveniles, while there are no federal rates of recidivism, it has been realized that most teens find themselves back into prison. Many factors such as the type and history of offense and family support contribute to recidivism among juveniles. The labeling theory identifies factors such as stereotyping, stigma and the self-fulfilling prophecy as some of the challenges which juvenile offenders face in the society. People in the society view those who have been released from prisons as criminals and not ex-criminals. This essay aims to discuss some basic concepts of the labeling theory, recidivism in juveniles and how the theory contributes to recidivism in juvenile offenders.
Labeling theory tries to explain criminal tendencies in individuals while maintaining that these groups of people continue to commit crimes because the society labels them as criminals ( Stucky & Krohn, 2009) . Juvenile offenders are mostly, very young individuals who still require the emotional and developmental support from the society as a whole. As a criminal, it is hard to acquire this form of support from the society. The society seems to offer a negative kind of support such that the individual feels unworthy or out of place. A majority of people in the society find it difficult to accept that released offenders have changed in their behavior. To them, once a criminal, a person is always a criminal, and that never changes. The lack of trust is evident even at the family level. As much as members of the family are trying to accept that their ex-offender changed in behavior, they will always stay careful around him or her. Juvenile offenders are more likely to re-offend if the society treats them and labels them still as criminals.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The Labelling Theory
The labeling theory is commonly used in the sociology of crime and deviance, in which the theory is used to explain how labeling and treatment of people as criminally deviant in the society fosters the deviant behavior. People labeled as criminally deviant often face certain repercussions in the society such bias and discrimination. It is difficult to land certain jobs if most people look at you as a criminal. Ex-offenders are said to suffer almost similar fate. People cannot simply accept and trust that an ex-offender has totally changed in his or her behavior. It is, therefore, to trust such an individual with one's property. People labeled in the society as criminally deviant face challenges trying to find love or companionship as no one would like to date such an individual ( Bernburg, 2009) .
The theory originated from a book by a French sociologist, Emile, known as Suicide. According to the book, crime is seen as something which outrages the society and the society then feels the need to control it. The self is constructed and reconstructed through the continuous interaction of every person with the community around them. Everyone in the society obtains their labels from the way others in the society perceive their behavior or tendencies. Every person is always aware of how other people view them through their interaction in the community. A term known as self-fulfilling prophecy stems out of this fact. A person finds himself or herself behaving in a certain way that reflects how people label him in the community. It is almost as if the individual gives up trying to convince others of his true self and consequently gives in to the notion of the community about his behavior.
Various Concepts of the Theory
Various sociologists have shaped the theory by introducing certain ideologies in support of the theory. Frank Tannenbaum, the father of the labeling theory in his book, Crime and Community described the various community or social interactions that are involved in crime. Frank referred to labels as tags. According to him, a negative tag will always fuel a person's involvement in crimes. The initial negative tag may cause an individual to adopt the behavior as part of their identity. Frank argued that the greater the attention put on that negative tag, the more likely the individual will identify himself or herself as the label.
Primary and secondary deviance is concepts in the labeling theory introduced by various sociologists. Primary deviance relates to the experience, demands, and consequences of the overt behavior. Secondary deviance, on the other hand, relates to the role created in dealing with the condemnation of the society due to the behavior of an individual. Offenders are always aware of their actions and the way that the community view such actions and behaviors. Offenders always try to provide excuses or justification for their actions or behavior, which proves the concept of secondary deviance. Most criminals often say that they do whatever they do or behave in the way that they do simply because that is the way they are. While the deviant actor or criminal uses a stigmatic label to justify his actions, the society uses that same label to justify its condemnation. Social stigma comes out when people negatively label others. Stigmatized people find it difficult to express themselves in the society and even interact freely with others. Such people sometimes live in isolation or develop the habit of going to places or using certain substances which would make them feel better. Stereotypes also stem out from labels which people give others. For instance, a person often seen wearing dark clothes and hoods may be stereotyped or labeled as a criminal.
The labeling theory has often been used in explaining the relationship of deviant behavior and the society. The approach can also be used to explain the fate or situation of other groups in the community such as the mentally ill persons. In criminology, the theory asserts that labels placed on an individual have great impacts on their behavior and tendencies. People who are known in the community as thugs or felons actually have very little choice but to accept what people think they are. At first, an individual may fight to try to make people to change their perspective about him or her. This, however, does not usually work and at some point, the individual would eventually identify with the label and possibly commit crimes or develop the deviant behavior.
Those people in the society known to have committed various forms of felony or crimes such as ex-offenders are mostly affected by labeling. A person who served time for a rape offense will remain a rapist in the minds of the community. A murderer will certainly never be seen as a good person in the society. The society tends to deal with such situations of crimes in a way that only creates more problems. The society aims to disapprove of any criminal act by condemning or letting the offenders know how bad and undesirable the criminal act is in in the society.
Recidivism
A significant number of those released from prisons have been reported to get back to their criminal ways even they have received various forms of interventions or treatments. A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed that in a span of five years, seventy-six percent of the criminals released from various prisons were rearrested. About two thirds of the criminals had been arrested by just three years after their release. This suggest the high rates of recidivism among criminals. There are many factors that contribute to recidivism and which make ex-offender vulnerable to crimes. Most of the ex-offenders are often put in probation or treatment programs to help with their reformation and acceptance into the society. Even then, a majority of these criminals still find their way back into deviant behavior and criminal activities. It is almost as if, they have no choice but to conduct their businesses the criminal way. Sociologists have suggested that the society is the root of the demise of these people. They receive a cruel treatment from the society making it quite hard to land jobs and earn a living.
Recidivism in Juveniles
Juvenile offenders, just like the adult offender face the outrage and the disapproval of the society. Juveniles are mainly teens, young people who are still learning and developing. They require the support from the people around them in order to grow into good and useful people in the society. They also need friends just like other kids. As an ex-offender, a juvenile finds it hard making friends or interacting in the community. Those who go back to school are ridiculed by other students and end up living in isolation. The society seems to be punishing them for the crime they had committed even when they have already served in juvenile prisons for the crimes. A few people are willing to offer jobs to such youths. Recidivism rates among youths, though not quite rampant as observed in adults, have also been observed to occur in alarming numbers. Various factors that contribute to this phenomenon are discussed below ( Mulder et al. 2011) .
Factors the Contribute to Recidivism in Juveniles
While many factors that may influence recidivism in juveniles exist, the role of the society in condemning and labeling juveniles presents as the root of recidivism. The act of treating the kids as offenders and not as non-offender impacts greatly on the lives juveniles. After these juveniles have been labeled as criminals by the society, other factors of recidivism may then come into play. These factors include type and history of offense, family support, parent or family crime history, age of the initial offense, completion of treatment programs and the length of the program ( Spice et al. 2013) . While some of these factors are quite crucial, others have been seen to have not influence on juvenile recidivism. A caring community and one which accepts juvenile offenders as those who have received corrections may help ex-juvenile offenders avoid recidivism even when all these factors are present.
Of all the above-highlighted factors, the type and history of an offense have the most significant influence on recidivism of juvenile offenders. For instance, the rate of recidivism in sex juvenile offenders is quite low as compared to that of substance abuse. Most juvenile delinquents with histories of substance abuse tend to get back to drugs soon after they are released. The availability of drugs makes it almost impossible for the ex-offenders to stay away. Other offenders such as the sex offenders tend to lay low profile in the community and try not to be caught in such acts again. The shame that the community instills in them makes them too afraid to commit the same act.
Family support and family history also play a huge role in keeping ex-juvenile offenders way from prisons or encouraging recidivism. Ex-offenders sometimes feel the lack of trust in the fact that even members of their families perceive them as criminals. If the family members cannot see the change in their behavior and tendencies, then outside world will never do any better. Concurrently, supportive family members who are ready to trust and support ex-offenders provide them with the courage and the confidence to face the outside world. Families with histories of deviant behavior or criminal tendencies and practices may not help keep ex-juvenile offenders from recidivism. Family members who use drugs or those involved in violent crimes make ex-offender vulnerable to recidivism. However, families with no criminal histories may provide such young individuals with proper and appropriate ways of dealing with their situations in order not to get involved in similar behaviors or actions.
Interventions and treatment programs for ex-juvenile offenders are available in every state where they can acquire support so that they can integrate well into the society and not get involved in similar crimes or deviant behaviors. Some of the kids do not get to complete their treatment programs as required. This has been seen to contribute to some extent, to recidivism among ex-juvenile offenders. Those who complete their program show a lot of behavioral changes are get to integrate better in the community. The age of the initial offence also comes to play in recidivism in juvenile offenders. Those who went to juvenile prisons at an earlier age are more likely to get back to deviant behaviors and end up in jail again as compared to those who initially went to prison at a later age ( Mennis & Harris, 2011) .
Relation of the Labeling Theory to Juvenile Recidivism
Stigma affects people’s general lives in the society by lowering their self-esteem and making feel inferior to others in the society ( Link & Phelan, 2013) . Stereotyping creates illusions of biased perceptions on people about others in the society, which then determines how they relate or treat such people. Ex-juvenile offender, being young, is not able to deal properly with the outrage from the community. The level of outrage or disapproval will depend on the nature of the initial crime of behavior of the offender. Generally, an ex-juvenile delinquent who went in for a rape case would still linger in the minds of people as a rapist. An ex-juvenile robber would suffer a similar fate. Offenders of petty crimes may not get the kind of disapproval or outrage that rapist or robbers would get. Juveniles may face difficulties while in school, other public areas, while looking for jobs, at home, and while trying to develop relationships in order to socialize and interact with other people.
The society is never ready to accept wrongdoers with open arms. The society intends to inflict pain or a form of suffering on the offenders to show that they do not approve of the deviant behavior. Juveniles may face this sort of social justice from their home and in the community. At home, they are let to freely access certain areas of gadgets to which all the other members have free access. In some homes, ex-juvenile delinquents cannot be left alone in the house. The lack of trust and support in such homes is quite evident ( Jackson & Hay, 2013) . In school, other kids constantly make fun of them. Other kids tend to stay away from ex-delinquents with the mentality that they may get into trouble or get influenced into criminal activities. No one, for instance, would want to associate himself or herself with a renowned rapist.
Making friends becomes one of the biggest problems. Other parents in the neighborhood may warn their kids to stay as far away as possible from the ex-delinquents. Kids without friends, especially from school leave a sad kind of life. For such kids, it becomes difficult trying to make a few dollars as no one is able to trust them enough to give those jobs. Those who had been in prison for robbery of stealing money are the most unlucky in landing any jobs. The society makes it hard for the kids to integrate and live their lives just like other normal people.
No matter how hard the kids try to convince the community of their changed behavior, the stereotype remains and they continue to suffer the stigma of being associated with crime. As a result, they have no friends, no trust, no hope, and no jobs. This situation creates a huge desperation among them. Their condition has become worse, even compared to their situation before their incarceration. Drug users will definitely look for drugs to help with their loneliness and miserable condition. The availability of drugs and the fact that various drugs are known to put users out of miseries or sadness, suggest the reason why drug-use offenders are most likely to re-offend than any other category. This also requires money which will definitely land the offender into a much bigger trouble. Ex-robbers may also get back to their ways if they cannot find a decent source of income and livelihood in the society. Due to lack of socialization and active interaction with other people, sex offenders may also find themselves committing more sex offenses due to desperation ( Mingus & Burchfield, 2012) . All these are possible due to the negative labeling and treatment of the juvenile offenders by the surrounding community.
Reducing Juvenile Recidivism
Today, many interventions programs have been set up in the attempt to reduce the rates of recidivism in juveniles ( Gatti et al. 2009) . These include monitoring, deterrence, skill-building programs, treatment programs and counseling programs ( Wilson & Hoge, 2013) . Among the intervention programs, counseling has been observed to have great impact regarding reduction of recidivism among juvenile offenders. Counseling programs are also done for family members in order to ensure that the offender is supported and handled appropriately. The family is the smallest unit in the society, and every change or strategy begins at the family level. Family members are enlightened to provide the offender with support, care and trust which will give him or her required courage and confidence to handle the challenges in the society.
As described in the discussion, the labeling theory quiet ties to recidivism in juveniles. The labeling theory suggests that people put certain labels on others depending on how they view that person. The individual, being aware of the labels put on him or she by others may eventually conform to the identity described by the labels. As ex-offenders, juvenile delinquents are still viewed in the society as offenders and not as reformers. This notion comes with social repercussions such as lack of socialization, lack of jobs, bias treatment and discrimination. Within no time, most juvenile offenders find themselves in similar crimes because the society still labels them as criminals or deviants. Of the various offenses, those associated with substance use and abuse are most likely to be committed by ex-juvenile offenders. The labeling theory, therefore, has a significant influence on recidivism of juvenile offenders.
References
Bernburg, J. G. (2009). Labeling theory. In Handbook on crime and deviance (pp. 187-207). Springer New York.
Gatti, U., Tremblay, R. E., & Vitaro, F. (2009). Iatrogenic effect of juvenile justice. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry , 50 (8), 991-998.
Jackson, D. B., & Hay, C. (2013). The conditional impact of official labeling on subsequent delinquency: Considering the attenuating role of family attachment. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency , 50 (2), 300-322.
Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2013). Labeling and stigma. In Handbook of the sociology of mental health (pp. 525-541). Springer Netherlands.
Mennis, J., & Harris, P. (2011). Contagion and repeat offending among urban juvenile delinquents. Journal of Adolescence , 34 (5), 951-963.
Mingus, W., & Burchfield, K. B. (2012). From prison to integration: Applying modified labeling theory to sex offenders. Criminal Justice Studies , 25 (1), 97-109.
Mulder, E., Brand, E., Bullens, R., & Van Marle, H. (2011). Risk factors for overall recidivism and severity of recidivism in serious juvenile offenders. International Journal of Offenders Therapy and Comparative Criminology , 55 (1), 118-135.
Spice, A., Viljoen, J. L., Latzman, N. E., Scalora, M. J., & Ullman, D. (2013). Risk and protective factors for recidivism among juveniles who have offended sexually. Sexual Abuse , 25 (4), 347-369.
Stucky, T. D., & Krohn, M. D. (2009). Researching theories of crime and deviance . Oxford University Press, USA.
Wilson, H. A., & Hoge, R. D. (2013). The effect of youth diversion programs on recidivism: A meta-analytic review. Criminal Justice and Behavior , 40 (5), 497-518.
