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Delinquent Acts
There is no single theory that one can use to explain why young people crimes. This is because most of their situations are unique and one ought to examine them uniquely. This means that, the utilization of two perspectives i.e. the sociological one and the psychological one will be imperative in understanding juvenile delinquents. The essay shall examine these theories in relation to three crimes commonly committed by the youth and these are carjacking, breaking and entering a home and shoplifting. Shoplifting In the country, almost forty to fifty percent of all shoplifters happen to be adolescents. Coincidentally, a large percentage of them also happen to belong to middle class backgrounds. Shoplifting is a major problem within the country and may lead to serious problems if very little effort is made to understand its causative factors. One sociological theory that can provide an insight into this issue is the social identity theory. According to this theory, adolescents are at point in their lives where they are trying to understand their place in society. Most of them may be trying to curve niches for themselves. Adolescents are usually asking themselves whether they should maintain the status quo i.e. embrace institutional issues as they are or whether they should change them in order to create a new value system. (Bonard et al, 2001) This sociological theory asserts that such persons may be trying to experiment with a social role so as to determine which one suits them. Additionally, some of these girls may be trying to look for mechanisms that will propagate thrill seeking activities or they may also be trying to reject their parent’s identities if they come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. By shoplifting, such youth may be trying to develop an alternative value system that differs tremendously from their parents’. Consequently, this could be the reason why some of them may choose to shoplift. One psychological theory that can be applied in shoplifting is the social deviant theory. Here, persons who commit crimes regardless of the age or sex are usually pushed into doing this due to the lack of certain psychological controls. For instance, it is possible to find that most of these individuals lack impulse control or they lack mechanisms for regulating their behavior based on society’s expectations. Another psychological theory that may be applicable in shoplifting is the lifespan theory. While the lifespan theory may be a combination of sociological and psychological aspects, some of the Explanations can be regarded as psychological ones. For instance, most young people tend to feel that there is a gap between the ideal definition of what they are supposed to be and what they really are. Consequently, this creates a situation in which they may have to resort to drastic measures in order to fit into the shoes of the ideal adolescent. (Loeber & Birmaher, 2002) Another sociological theory that explains crime is the routine activities theory. This theory can allow one to understand why certain adolescents may find shoplifting particularly seductive. Some of them may assume that so many others do it so they may get away with it too. Breaking and entering a home A sociological theory that can be applied in this case is the strain theory. According to the strain theory, adolescents may be catapulted into this crime when they weigh the costs of committing the crime and its consequences. If the latter are less than the former, then they will commit it. Breaking and entering usually does not solicit a lot of attention from the juvenile correctional system. Consequently, this may prompt some of them to engage in the act. A psychological theory that can explain breaking and entering is the cognitive theory. Some individuals may come from neighborhoods where the act of breaking and entering is quite a common one. Consequently, such adolescents may have been taught to ignore effects of their actions. Another psychological theory that can be used to explain this crime is the theory of extraversion. Certain individuals may have personalities that put them in a position where they are likely to disregard the consequences of crime. According to this theory, extroverts tend to be thrill seekers or persons who focus on the short term. In this case, they are likely to break and enter into a home if they are looking for some temporary pleasure. (Kelley, Homant & Kennedy, 2003) One sociological theory that is applicable in the issue of breaking and entering is the routine activities theory. According to this theory, persons may engage in a crime after the realization that the crime is the norm in their respective neighborhoods. Such neighborhoods are usually characterized by few guards and little vigilance by the police. Car jacking A sociological theory used to explain why certain person commit carjacking is the Marxist theory. According to this theory, some people my feel that they are being oppressed by the holders of wealth within the society or the upper class. Consequently, such persons may be prompted to commit crimes in order to bridge the gap between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Usually, such adolescents may aim for seemingly wealthy people who appear to have exactly what they desire. Cars are usually a common target because they allow the offenders a chance to catapult into that class quickly. This is a false consciousness because it makes the adolescent assume that they are entitled to that car. (Lamontagne et al, 2001) Another sociological reason that can be applied in this scenario is called the strain theory. When young persons choose to car jack, they may simply be depicting the kind of strain that they are undergoing in their current situation in life. Some of them may be struggling to gain autonomy from their parents; others may be looking for some extra cash that will assist them in meeting expenses. This is usually the case when that adolescent is not satisfied with their current situation. One psychological theory that can be applied in this scenario is the choice theory. According to this theory, young people may choose to commit crimes after examining the pros and cons of the act and then proceed with it. In this case an individual will be exercising their free wiling in choosing between the ownership of a car or finances that proceed from its sale and the punishment that might result from the crime in case those two individuals get caught in the process. (Kendall, 2003) One psychological theory that can be applied in understanding carjacking is the behaviorism theory. In this theory, behavior is adopted from certain individuals that are surrounding them. In the case of juvenile acts such as a carjacking, it is possible to find that the person who commits a carjacking may have observed this behavior among his peers; an aspect that is quite likely if that person comes from a neighborhood with such high cases of carjacking, then they may follow suit. Additionally, if crime is a routine in the area under consideration, then it is likely that one may be prompted to commit it. Conclusion Psychological theories of juvenile behavior tend to center on matters revolving around the individual as the sole determinant of their actions. However, the sociological theories revolve around influences that youth or adolescents may get from their surrounding or from other types of persons. Reference Bonard, L. et al (2001): Who are the adolescents who stop smoking; European Journal of Pediatrics, 160, 430-435 Loeber, R. & Birmaher, B.(2002): Oppositional defiant disorder and con-duct disorder; Journal of the American Acad-emy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 11, 1275-1312 Kelley, T., Homant, R. & Kennedy, D. (2003): Evaluation of an individualized treatment program for adolescent shoplifters; Journal for Adolescence, 38,152, 725-733 Kendall, D. (2003): Sociology in our times; Wadsworth/Thom-son Lamontagne et al (2001): Anxiety, significant losses, depression, and irrational beliefs in juvenile delinquents; Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 45,1, 63-66 Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Author is associated with ResearchPapers247.Com which is a global Research Papers and Term Papers Writing Company. If you would like help in Research Papers and Term Paper Help you can visit ResearchPapers247.Com> |
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