Juvenile Crime Theory Paper

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The criminal justice system is a broad spectrum where studies have been conducted to display that no sole theory describes or justify the numerous types of crime, wrongdoings and behavior individuals portray. The purpose of this research paper is to define theory and to identify what theories best explain the relationship between divorced households and juvenile crime. Theory as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, can be principles or ideas which explains the practice of an action (Oxford English Dictionary, n.d.). In other words, in relation to juveniles who commit crimes, theory allows researchers to study the characteristics or actions of their behavior and then make predictions regarding that behavior. These predictions can bring to light why juveniles continue to engage in violent behavior and …show more content…

Juveniles are faced with many types of living situations, positive and negative. No matter the living situation, juveniles are affected by their environment and it can have a lasting impression on their lives (Kierkus & Hewitt, 2009). Additionally, there are many theories related to juvenile delinquency. However, the research question regarding the relationship between divorced households will be addressed using two theories. A peer review article titled, “Family Transitions and Juvenile Delinquency” the authors state that juveniles who are a product of divorced or broken homes are at a higher risk of committing delinquency offences than juveniles from unbroken homes (Schroeder, R. D., Osgood, A. K., & Oghia, M. J., 2010). They continued to report that studies have found in households where a biological parent

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