Juvenile delinquency is one of the major fields of criminal psychology and is viewed as the participation by minor children who are between the ages of ten and seventeen in illegal activities or behaviors. It also means children who show consistent behaviors of disobedience or mischievousness to the extent that it is considered to be out of the parents’ control. Legal action must then be involved that is by the court system. There are several theories that apply to juvenile delinquency.
Theories that Apply to Juvenile Delinquency
There are various theories that apply to juvenile delinquency including s ocial disorganization theory , control theory , symbolic interactionist theory , c ultural Deviance theory , strain theory , labeling theory , differential association theory, opportunity theory , and conflict theory. The ones that are mostly applied juvenile delinquency include; social disorganization theory, cultural deviance theory, and strain theory.
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S ocial Disorganization Theory
The theory indicates a situation where a community decreases the opportunity for children to advance. Research carried out by both Henry Mckay and Clifford Shaw (1942, 1931), showed that such communities did not have the needed cohesion and constraint that would enable them to low levels of crime juvenile delinquency rates. They were able to find out the indicators that signified social disorganization. This indicators were listed as; infant mortality, mental disorder, adult crime, dependency on the economy, truancy, and last but not least, juvenile delinquency. The results of the research that was carried in Chicago, was able to prove that these conditions were at their highest rates in the slums that could be found adjacent to the city but tended to lower in areas that were far away from the city center. These problems were translated to indications of the said areas of Chicago not being able to assist their residents in achieving their goals or in other words, pointers of social inadequacy. McKay and Shaw were also able to determine the types of characteristics that communities had and could be related delinquency. They found three and they were; heterogeneity of the community, economic status the community was in and the flexibility of the residents in the given communities (Bernburg & Krohn, 2003).
C ultural D eviance Theory
This theory explains that because of the draining lifestyle of children who are living in deteriorated neighborhoods, often times they turn to delinquent behaviors and social isolation. Culture deviance often results in subcultures such as cults and gangs. Once again, McKay and Shaw were able to demonstrate how cultural deviance led to juvenile delinquency based on the research they carried in Chicago, Illinois. McKay and Shaw stated that some neighborhoods had the culture of crime in them that could not end. This culture tended to be embraced by majority of the people living in the said area. For example the area of case study, Chicago, delinquent behavior was always on a high due to the lifestyle of the town. Existence of gangs and cults was so evident that teenagers sought to them so as to feel wanted. Those that did not join gangs or cult became socially isolated (Bernburg & Krohn, 2003).
S train Theory
Strain theory indicates that when people have goals and are not able to achieve them in legitimate ways, they then look for alternative ways that would help in achieving them, which usually ends up turning into criminal behaviors. Research carried out was able to prove that most teenagers in America from middle class families were at a pressure of achieving so much in life. This meant that they desire to lead a life which was better than what their families offered. They had set goals and imaginations of a living that they cannot get to or sustain. To take care of this shortcoming, most of the young people resorted to crime. Strain theory argues that teenagers that take part in robberies, muggings, carjacking and other sorts of crimes were trying to achieve a rich lifestyle that they could not get on normal terms and setting. Revisions made to the Strain Theory also indicate that most teenagers participate in the said juvenile acts so to gain fame and popularity among their friends and peers (Bernburg & Krohn, 2003).
Causes of Juvenile Delinquency
Researchers and philosophers have tried to explain the causes of juvenile delinquency ranging from a straightforward and simple explanation that explains that juveniles often make rational choices to commit illegal acts. Some children are often raised in poor environments that consist of the high level of violence and absent parents or ones who simply do not parent, which encourages juvenile delinquency. Children neglected by their parents most of the times resort to drug abuse which on many cases leads them to a life of crime. Sometimes these children get depressed too committing criminal acts is the only way in which they can escape the walls of depression. The best policy to solve the issues is improving the environment through policing that will make areas safe and discourage the youth from engaging in criminal activities, and parents making an effort to parent and be a part of their children’s life.
The second cause of increased juvenile delinquency is the influence from the commercialized mass media that is more concerned about profits than their contents. Therefore, many of the contents have negative effects on children as they are exposed to bad ideas and violence that cause lifelong harm ( Lahey, 2003) . Children often get the assumption that violence and drug abuse is the ordinary way of living and results in their criminal activities. Parents have terribly failed in putting limits to what their children watch on television. Many teenagers in the United States were introduced to violent movies and films at a young age. The media needs to be supervised to ensure that they provide good quality that tells the youth on how to distinguish between right and wrong. Teenagers with mental disability might also be a cause for juvenile delinquency. This is because their mental states tend to lead them into committing crimes without the knowledge that it will implicate them in a wrong way. Some delinquents on the other hand who might be physically handicapped tend to get overwhelmed by their conditions thus resort to crime whereby they attack normal healthy people to exert revenge.
Another cause of the problem is the increasing rate of single-parents. These children are often not taken care of as those who are in a traditional family and thus they feel neglected. Often they find it easier to engage in crime to fill the gap or void. Criminal gangs and sects have leaders who tend to impose themselves as father figures on teenagers working for them. The problem can be solved by encouraging a mutual understanding between children and parents. In addition, parental supervision is vital in making sure that the children do not feel neglected and that they do not turn to crime.
Conclusion
Juvenile delinquency has become one of the biggest issues that affect the society today. It is caused by many factors from the increase in single parents and the lack of parenting that makes them feel neglected to the negative influence of mass media. Researchers have also tried to study the issues through the various theories that apply to juvenile delinquency including the ones listed above . It is clear that strategies and policies need to be put in place to solve the issues and parents need to step up and do their job.
References
Bernburg, J. G. and Krohn, M. D. (2003). “Labeling, life chances, and adult crime: The direct and indirect effects of official intervention in adolescence on crime in early adulthood.” Criminology , 41: 1287–1318. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2003.tb01020.x
Lahey, B. B., Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (2003). Causes of conduct disorder and juvenile delinquency . New York: Guilford Press.
