This assignment will illustrate that by understanding the fundamentals of the case study and applying the theories to command practice will enhance the overall knowledge of the material. This document will summarize some key aspects of the juvenile case study involving Mary Flora Bell. In addition, it will highlight at least three major factors that I believe are important for one to understand the origins of Mary Flora Bell’s delinquent behavior. Next, this paper will attempt to apply the concepts from the Behavioral theory that was chosen from the text that would better explain the reasons why Mary Flora Bell acted in this manner. Finally, this paper will identify an appropriate strategy geared toward preventing delinquency that in consistent …show more content…
The disciplines of the fields of criminal justice have always been about the real and imagined differences between criminals and non-criminals. Theoretical explanations of crime and crime control, regardless of the perspective, have sought to make sense out of different social factors such as gender, racial and ethnic background, and social class. In the process of sorting out these differences, virtually every theoretical framework has addressed them, and many are debating whether or not these variables matter. It is clear, that after the criminal acts, a clear pattern can be identified to show the how the juvenile ended up on this path (Deling, …show more content…
She displayed an elevated level of disobedience behavior at a very young age. As a child she acted out above the level of a normal child, both in intensity and duration. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the clinician’s bible for diagnosing mental problems), a child must display a continuing pattern of extreme disobedience and defiant behavior should continue for a period six month or more (APA, 2017). Mary Bell displayed most of the classic signs of ODD, she often had temper tantrums and frequently failed to observe the rules. She enjoyed provoking others and rarely took responsibility for her own actions. At school, Mary became known as a chronic liar and disruptive pupil. She often argues with adults and actively defies or refuses to comply with adults’ requests or rules. She Mary had a high degree of irritability and general meanness, on occasion, she voiced her desire to hurt people (Sereny,
...(2004). Applying the principles of effective intervention to juvenile correctional programs. Corrections Today, 66(7), 26-29. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4bd9d7f2-8ac5-42c6-a100-a2443eda9cbf@sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4213
ically based control policy (punish and deter individuals) address the issues that surround the social construction of crime and deviance? References and Related Readings Bureau of Justice Statistics-1989, UNCRIM Gopher, SUNY-Albany, 1994. Marcus Felson, Crime and Everyday Life: Insight and Implications for Society, Pine Forge Press, 1994. Allen Liska, Perspectives on Deviance, 2nd ed., Prentice-Hall, 1987. Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld, Crime and the American Dream, Wadsworth, 1994.
Morris (2000) argues that we should see youth crimes as a social failure, not as an individual level failure. Next, Morris (2000) classifies prisons as failures. Recidivism rates are consistently higher in prisons than in other alternatives (Morris, 2000). The reason for this is that prisons breed crime. A school for crime is created when a person is removed from society and labeled; they become isolated, angry and hopeless (Morris, 2000).
The study of Juvenile delinquency and the theories pertaining to it are vital for several reasons. In order to more effectively engage with youths and foster positive behavior and schemas, the individuals must first be understood. The study of theory provides a means of understanding adolescents and the factors that lead to or detract from delinquent behavior. In the case of juvenile delinquent, Jordan Brown, theory helps to provide insight into why an eleven-year-old boy murdered his stepmother.
As Laub and Sampson (2003) analyze crime over the life course, they highlight Terrie Moffitt’s theory and discuss the limitations of her developmental explanation. In Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy, she acknowledges two categories of offenders...
One of the most critical to understand in the society we live in is the Positivist School of Criminology’s theory. Unlike the Classical School of Criminology theory which focuses on rational choice and deterrence, the positivist school theory ‘considers the circumstances of individuals and states that some people are influenced to offend because of determinism” (Fuller, 2015). Determinism is the philosophical doctrine that human action is determined by external forces and is not a result of free will. The Positivist Theory recognizes that the impoverished and minority populations are more likely to break the law because of the social disadvantages that they face. In many impoverished families and communities, delinquency and incarceration is unfortunately an ongoing cycle and it can feel like it is the only
Thompson, W, & Bynum, J. (1991). Juvenile delinquency. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Many theories, at both the macro and micro level, have been proposed to explain juvenile crime. Some prominent theories include Social Disorganization theory, Differential Social Organization theory, Social Control theory, and Differential Association theory. When determining which theories are more valid, the question must be explored whether people deviate because of what they learn or from how they are controlled? Mercer L. Sullivan’s book, “Getting Paid” Youth Crime and Work in the Inner City clearly suggests that the learning theories both at the macro level, Differential social organization, and micro level, Differential association theory, are the more accurate of the two types of theory.
Levitt, S. D. (2000). The determinants of Juvenile Crime. Chicago: University of Chicago and American Bar Foundation.
This theory however as some have argued has emerged from social disorganisation theory, which sees the causes of crime as a matter of macro level disadvantage. Macro level disadvantage are the following: low socioeconomic status, ethnic or racial heterogeneity, these things they believe are the reasons for crime due to the knock on effect these factors have on the community network and schools. Consequently, if th...
Criminologists generally agree that young people are more likely to commit crime than old people, men more than women, city dwellers more than country folk, the poor more than the rich, and the minorities more than whites (Cole, 1999). Logically, there is no one criteria of who can be immediately classified as the “type” of person that would commit crimes and the...
Onwediwe, I. (2004). “Theoretical Perspectives on Juvenile Delinquency: Root Causes and Control.” ProQuest Criminal Justice, 66, 153-156.
Conscious efforts to critique existing approaches to questions of crime and justice, demystify concepts and issues that are laden with political and ideological baggage, situate debates about crime control within a socio-historical context, and facilitate the imagination and exploration of alternative ways of thinking and acting in relation to crime and justice. (p. 3).
Krohn, M., & Massey, J. (1980). Social control and delinquent behavior: an examination of the elements of the social bond. The Socialogical Quarterly, 21(4), 529-544.
I now know that criminology prefer to highlight the correlations between crimes’ social climates and criminals’ psychological states of mind. While some argues that criminal behavior is a result of individuals’ association with criminal peers, other claims that crime is a reflection of an individual’s genetic disadvantages. I have come to learn that there are no universally agreed formulas on decoding crimes and criminal behaviors. What we have, however, is a manual full of academic opinions and subjective views that have emerged alongside of the development of criminology. At the same time, the volume of conflicting perspectives that I have stumble upon in studying criminology reminded me again that the success of our current assessment models has yet to be determined. Thus, the study of criminology is an appropriate practice that will further prepare me to conduct meaningful research on legal studies and to provide accurate and in-depth findings in the near