Effects that the Enviroment Have on Juvenile Deliquency

Juvenile delinquency is a frequently discussed subject. Theorists and researchers have been trying many different methods, theories and projects to help extinguish and explain delinquency. The fact of the matter is that there have been great ideas and good movements, but results are at a minimal (meaning we have found some ways to slow down or stop delinquency for the moment, but we, as people have not found a permanent cure). We as peers, parents, siblings, family etc. ha

When it comes to demographics, the information is very straightforward and clear. There is really not much of a difference. Poverty and ethnic heterogeneity leads to higher delinquency rates because they interfere with community members ability to work together in socializing and supervising children (Osgood and Chambers, 2000, p.84). Osgood and Chambers also state that most theories of crime and delinquency are likely to apply to rural settings even though they were developed in reference to urban setting (p.82). I found some new demographic information by looking in the UCR. I found that the larger the population is in any area the higher percentage of crime. I also found that in 1999 according to the UCR 22.5% of juveniles were handled within the department and released, 69.2% were referred to juvenile court jurisdiction, .8% were referred to welfare agency, 1.0% referred to other police agency, and 6.4% were referred to criminal or adult court (see appendix for the charts of Police Disposition of Juvenile Offenders Taken into Custody in 1995-1999 according to the UCR).

In regard to gender, the assumption is that girls are non-violent, and boys have violent tendencies. The fact is that girls are involved in violent acts also, it is just that they are not discussed/mentioned that much (Heimer and DeCoster, 1999, p.277). There is a considerably amount of controversy over the adequacy of current theories about female deviance. A girls aggression is often subject to censure in the form of either condemnation or a warning to behave like a lady, which ultimately produce feelings of guilt and anxiety about aggression among females than males (Heimer and DeCoster, 1999,p.283). Most likely delinquent females engage in more survival strategies, and they leave home or runaway. The females who depart from traditional “lady like” actions by engaging in violence are labeled more deviant than aggressive males (Heimer and DeCoster, 1999, p.283). But on the other hand girls who accept the traditional gender definition role given by society should be unlikely to engage in physical aggression and violence (Rhodes and Fischer, 1993). For the girls who believe in the society norms, violent delinquency would be viewed as double deviant, and would be a violation of law as well as their beliefs. Some research showed that the females or girls who believed in this (meaning society norm) were less likely to be involved in delinquency (Heimer and DeCoster, 1999, p.283).

Differential Association theory proposes that people whose environments provide the opportunity to associate with criminals will learn these skills and will then becomes a criminal. If the necessary learning structures are absent of criminal skill and actions, then they will have a better chance of not becoming a criminal. Some of the actions of the criminal become acceptable because of situations and circumstances in their eyes. “A strength of the differential association theory of crime is that it addresses the role of social structure as well as culture. A core assumption of the theory is that society is characterized by normative conflict over the law, wherein some groups define crime as always wrong and others justify it under some circumstances” (Heimer and DeCoster, 1999, p.279). When you have some group or groups with a high rate of crime, these are the ones whose norms, values, and practices aren’t consistent with the norms of society. “Differential social organization affects the behavior of individuals through a cultural process, differential association, in which individuals learn definitions (example, attitudes, rationalizations) and techniques favorable and unfavorable to law violation through interacting with significant others and reference groups” (Heimer and DeCoster, 1999, p.279). According to the differential association theory:

Interactions with others and social structural context are important because they shape t

Some topics in this essay:
Heimer DeCoster, Conclusions Due, UCR Petrosino, Gray-Ray Ray, Kruegur Schmutte, Implications Based, Wolfgang Ferracuti, Literature Juvenile, Research Engine, Act JJDP, heimer decoster, heimer decoster 1999, decoster 1999, et al, et al 1999, hensley et, al 1999, hensley et al, juvenile delinquency, differential association, violent definitions, petrosino 2000, association theory, differential association theory, petrosino 2000 p636,