Peer Pressure and Adolescent Delinquency
analytical Essay
1523 words
Magnusson (1988) and Brofenbrenner (1979) state that social environment in which a person is embedded is essential in the study of their behavior. The theoretical framework of developmental and life course theories of crime allow for the addition of the dynamic element of time and places an emphasis on the longitudinal processes of how the interaction between the individual and his or her social environments constrain and influence behavior.
This longitudinal perspective opens up the possibility that the peer social environment is one that is dynamic. Friendships can be added and terminated resulting in the number of friends reported changes from childhood into and through adolescence. Children moving from intimate elementary classroom settings into a broader age range of adolescents in junior high and high school increases the potential for developing friendships with older adolescents. At the same time, the quality of the relationships with these friends may also be changing. Adolescent relationships are becoming more intimate than those of childhood with the sharing of intimate feelings and being aware of the needs of others becoming a prominent feature of friendship during adolescence.
However, even though several aspects of the peer social environment may be undergoing transition and change during adolescence it is also during this time that friendships are hypothesized as becoming the most important social context in which an adolescent functions. Accordingly, time spent in the peer social environment occupies the greatest part of an adolescent’s day (Csikszentmihalyi and Larson 1984). If this is the case, a natural question to ask is what happens to the pattern of influence peers have on delinquent outcomes during adolescence?
According to life course theory, peers will have a significant influence on delinquent behavior in early adolescence and this influence grows as the primary social environment in which an adolescent functions shifts from parents to peer networks but then diminishes in late adolescence as it shifts to an increased commitment to conventional activities. This explicitly points to a changing pattern of influence within the social institution of peers.
Peer Influence on Delinquency During Adolescence
Much of the prior research on the age varying influence of peers on delinquency during adolescence is based on cross-sectional studies which do not explore influence variation across the entire adolescent time frame. It is thus difficult to identify a discernable pattern of influence.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that magnusson (1988) and brofenbrenner (1979) state that the social environment in which a person is embedded is essential in the study of their behavior.
- Analyzes how the longitudinal perspective opens up the possibility that the peer social environment is dynamic. friendships can be added and terminated resulting in the number of friends reported changes from childhood into and through adolescence.
- Argues that friendships are the most important social context in which an adolescent functions, and that time spent in the peer social environment occupies the greatest part of their day.
- Explains life course theory that peers influence delinquent behavior in early adolescence. this influence grows as the primary social environment shifts from parents to peer networks.
- Explains that previous research on the age-varying influence of peers on delinquency during adolescence is based on cross-sectional studies.
- Opines that cross-sectional studies do not present a consistent pattern to the varying influence of peers on delinquency.
- Opines that while longitudinal data resolves some of the methodological issues inherent in cross sectional studies, it does not mean that previous longitudinal studies of delinquent peer effects present a clear pattern of peer influence.
- Explains that longitudinal studies indicate that peer influence on delinquency fluctuates but the pattern across early, mid, and late adolescence is not unambiguous.
- Explains that jang (1999) states that the mixed evidence from prior longitudinal studies on peer influence is due in part to a limited number of waves, the age of the respondents varying within each wave, and the focus on between individual differences.
- Argues that methodological issues could be contributing to the mixed pattern of results found in the studies reviewed here. thornberry and krohn (2003) point out that longitudinal studies do not necessarily incorporate detailed measures of key explanatory variables.
- Explains that the respondent could project or impute their own behavior onto that of his or her peers making the correlation between the two variables artificially high or even significant. jussim and osgood provide partial validation for this critique.
- Explains the use of detailed social network data to overcome projection issues in peer delinquency research and gain an accurate assessment of peer influence during the adolescent time frame.
Related
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- The Cause Of Juvenile Delinquencyexplanatory essayMany in the juvenile justice field have tried to understand the cause of juvenile delinquency. There are many different theories describe the cause and effect of variables and how they react. However, through much research, we have concluded there is not just one single path or journey that determines the fate of the juvenile. There are many different risk factors that build in order to increase a youth's chance of becoming an offender. This is kind of like a domino effect. Risk factors are described as the characteristics that present themselves to determine if the individual or youth will become a delinquent. These factors may include; home life, income status, gender, and social. It can either be one or all that play a part in the way the
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many theories describe the cause and effect of variables and how they react. there are many different risk factors that build in order to increase a youth's chance of becoming an offender.
- Explains that juvenile delinquency is defined or contribute based on several risk factors. status offenses are unlawful because of the offender's age.
- Explains that the juvenile justice system is a means to reform the youth.
- Explains how the juvenile justice system wants to help juveniles realize their mistakes and turn their lives around.
- Quotes kurt kumli, who is the supervising deputy district attorney for the juvenile division of the santa clara county district attorney's office.
1306 wordsRead More - The Causes Of Juvenile Delinquencyanalytical essayThere has been a mass increase of juvenile delinquency in the United States, which has made a notable change in our society as a whole. It also directly affects parents, teachers, families, the perpetrators themselves, and of course, the victims. Law enforcement agencies in the United States have made an estimated 2.11 million arrests of minors. These perpetrators who were arrested have either been placed in confinement or they are under court supervision. Juvenile delinquency is described as illegal or immoral behavior, generally among young people under the legal age of eighteen. In order to reduce these high rates of delinquency, parents, and other adult figures, must first ask themselves, what is causing this? What external and internal
In this essay, the author
- Explains that juvenile delinquency is a dangerous social issue that must be dealt with and tackled carefully.
- Opines that nature vs. nurture is the cause of juvenile delinquency, stating that children are born with pre-determined characteristics due to genetics, and violent tendencies can be hereditary.
- Explains that children learn the basic concepts about right and wrong from their family, which shape their moral and ethical values and set the norms of society.
- Analyzes how james brown's "this river: a memoir" discusses his struggles with alcoholism. parents must teach their children the differences between right and wrong and guide them safely into adulthood.
- Explains that peer influence plays a vital role in the development of delinquent behavior.
- Explains that juvenile delinquency is a complex issue and there is no single solution. there are various strategies to prevent children from participating in criminal activities.
1408 wordsRead More - Impact Of Strain Theory On Juvenile Delinquencyanalytical essayThe Impacts of Social Disorganization and General Strain Theory On Juvenile Delinquency Kevin Williams Georgia Gwinnett College Introduction When people think of the term “juvenile delinquency” they may think of the extreme regulations some schools have begun to enact upon individual students in response to major issues such as bullying and school shootings. Criminal prosecution seems to have become the normality in many bullying cases these days as some students can find themselves being suspended for making guns out of paper, or even drawing a gun. Though these “no tolerance” policies that some schools have come up with in order to prevent delinquency from happening may help deter these negative behaviors in some circumstances they are in no way a practical solution, overall. Rules are essential to order, but what are the reasons youth become delinquent and how can we identify the causes?
In this essay, the author
- Explains the impact of social disorganization and general strain theory on juvenile delinquency.
- Explains that rules are essential to order, but what are the reasons youth become delinquent and how can we identify the causes?
- Explains that general strain theory and social disorganization attempt to identify the structural and cultural contributions to juvenile delinquency, ranging from areas of poverty to disorganized schools.
- Explains that social disorganization theory and general strain theory successfully identify issues that contribute to juvenile delinquency, though the aims of each theory are different.
- Explains that in the journal article "a social disorganization perspective on bullying-related attitudes and behaviors: the influence of school context", s looked at school type, concentration of poverty, student-to-teacher ratio, location and suspension rates.
- Opines that the study will add to the pre-existing literature on bullying as it does not look at the individual students and the factors that result in juvenile delinquency, but examines the much broader scope that includes the school itself.
- Explains that s collected data from several schools within a large maryland school district. the language arts departments administered an anonymous online survey for 3 weeks to ensure that students were not discussing anything regarding the survey.
- Analyzes the positive correlation between school disorganization and bullying on every subject presented in the study. elementary and middle schools with an increased poverty concentration led to a higher risk of bullying and being victimized by bullying.
- Opines that the anonymous nature of the survey may have skewed the results. further research should be conducted at a national level to identify if social disorganization is related to bullying among elementary and middle school students.
- Analyzes how this article helps us see how important a functioning and organized school system is in regards to bullying in the united states.
- Explains that bullying as a result of social disorganization, specifically at the school level, clearly impacts youth in regards to being bullied or actually taking part in bullying another peer.
- Explains jacob conducts a research study to see how social disorganization affects both male and female crime rates in canadian communities using an ecological study.
- Explains that the 1996 uniform crime report (ucr) survey was used to identify trends in youth crime by looking at socioeconomic status, ethnic heterogeneity, supervision, urbanization, and residential instability.
- Explains that socio-economic status and residential instability were the primary factors that led to the highest rates of apprehension.
- Opines that jacob's findings indicate that community factors contribute to higher levels of youths committing crimes in relation to the social disorganization theory, but the results are relatively weak.
- Explains that many youth crimes can go unreported and are dealt with at a school or parent level. social conditions and community characteristics showed little difference between youth crime rates of both genders.
- Analyzes how social disorganization articles look at bullying in a metropolitan area in the united states and crime rates in multiple canadian jurisdictions. both articles show positive relationships between socio-economic status, supervision at school, and family structure on juvenile delinquency.
- Explains that juvenile delinquency has been viewed through the lens of a macro approach, and will transition into the micro lens. the next two articles aim to identify how general strain theory relates to juvenile
- Explains that in the article "life stress, anger and anxiety, and delinquency: an empirical test of general strain theory," s are trying to determine if mental health, stress and social adaptation, specifically during adolescent and early adult years, contribute to juvenile delinquncy.
- Explains that the three wave panel study started with 1576 students and the third wave ended up having 939 students. the first part of the interview consisted of a 61-item questionnaire that asked the youth what negative life experiences had happened to them.
- Explains that the second part of the analysis involved measuring anger and anxiety by asking how often the youth was "distressed in the past month." a five-item measure that analyzed the frequency of resentful feelings, aggression, and hostile behavior was utilized.
- Explains that the third part of the analysis examined the self-worth and self esteem variables with surveys that included questions for the parents, as well as the youths.
- Explains that each subject of the study was analyzed to prove whether or not introduction of life stressors, feelings of anxiety or low self worth, socioeconomic status, and family and peer relationships contributed to juvenile delinquency.
- Explains that the study utilized a near-completely white sample, with an age range of middle to later adolescents, despite the sample including youths that were considered poor, but it did not have many from very disadvantaged circumstances.
- Analyzes how the article approached the general strain theory at a different angle by incorporating the "self-worth" aspect into the study.
- Explains hay and meldrum conduct an etiological research study to determine if the aspects of strain theory dealing with strained relationships and the introduction of negative life events contribute to youths harming themselves.
- Explains that the sample used in this study consisted of adolescents located in rural areas of a state in the southeast.
- Explains that the third hypothesis addresses variables that moderate bullying and self harm. a good parenting style that is pro social and authoritative reduces the harmful effects of bullying on a youth.
- Explains that youth victimized by bullying had a positive association with both suicidal ideation and self-harm. females who are non-white, have low self control, and are at the highest risk of bullying victimization.
- Explains that bullying was mediated based on negative emotions. low self control and lack of authoritative parenting showed a positive correlation in both self-harm and suicidal ideation.
- Cautions that the data was cross-sectional, meaning it was taken in all at one time, which doesn't allow for a follow-up or tracking to see long-term effects.
- Analyzes how each theory provides positive correlations between variables used to test the theories and the impact they have on juvenile delinquency. the social disorganization perspective identifies community factors like school organization, socioeconomic status, student to teacher ratios, and how they impact bullying in schools.
- Analyzes how general strain theory closes the gap between community structures and areas in poverty, and examines family structure and youth's perception on their respective family environment and class.
- Argues that both theories contribute to the body of research involving juvenile delinquency, and it is impractical to say that one is better than the other as they both identify issues at different levels.
- Explains that disorganized schools in disadvantageous areas with high student to teacher ratio showed a positive relationship when observing bullying and crime rates.
- Argues that we can learn from each of these theories and address the issues found in the studies from school structure down to family structure.
3053 wordsRead More - Juvenile Delinquencyanalytical essayThompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that juvenile delinquency affects society as a whole. it requires attention from various forms of social control, but an imperfect juvenile justice system absorbs the burden.
- Explains that the original concept behind the juvenile court system was an emphasis on rehabilitation rather than punishment. the dichotomies of "treatment-punishment" and "child-adult" have been skewed.
- Argues that juvenile courts lack resources to provide social welfare for children because the responsibility of providing child welfare does not rest solely on the juvenile court.
- Analyzes how gerald gault challenged the juvenile code of arizona for lack of constitutionality. the supreme court granted some changes in rights but not all.
- Opines that juvenile courts lack conception and combine social welfare with state coercion, resulting in mediocre functionality at best.
- Asks whether feld is correct in his belief that the creation of a separate juvenile court system has led to unanticipated negative consequences for both children and justice.
- Explains thompson, w. e., and bynum, j.e. juvenile delinquency: a sociological approach.
- Cites fortas' opinion of the court supreme court of the united states: 387 u.s.
1498 wordsRead More - Essay On Juvenile Delinquencyanalytical essayFamily interaction has an undeniable impact on children, from the time they are born to the time they turn 18, and even after they become adults. Parents, guardians, even older siblings, whether they are aware of it or not, act as role models. Children learn the fundamentals of human life and how to interact with society from their parents. Because of this familial influence, it is important to study the impact of family dynamics on children and their behaviors in order to develop effective prevention programs to decrease the risk of juvenile delinquency.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes rankin's study to determine the significance of broken homes in relation to juvenile delinquency.
- States that ryan & testa (2004) hypothesized that children in substitute care placement are at an increased risk of juvenile delinquency because it disrupts the social bonds of youths with their caregivers and social institutions.
- Analyzes the impact of family transitions on children and delinquent behaviors, citing schroeder, osgood, and oghia's study.
- Explains that family interaction has an undeniable impact on children, from the time they are born to when they turn 18, and even after they become adults.
- Explains that there is little debate about the importance of family structure and parental guidance in raising a child.
1081 wordsRead More - What Are The Causes Of Juvenile Delinquencyanalytical essay“Failure to make friends at school or poor academic performance can often be the cause of juvenile delinquency. Poverty and living in a dangerous neighborhood will sometimes lead children to engage in criminal activities” (Fisher, 2015). Environmental factors take their place in many theories of criminality, including juvenile criminality. Sociological theories maintain that “lack of education, poverty-level income, poor housing, slum conditions and conflict within home and family increase crime commission” (Hess et.al, p.76). Fisher also manages to hit at the social ecology theory and anomie theory in his final sentence on the topic of environmental factors: “If your child has easy access to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or weapons, he may turn to risky behavior as a way to escape the pressure of what he feels is an unhappy life.” Delinquent behavior becomes both a normal reaction to the environment (social ecology) and a means to attain the American dream (anomie).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there is no single cause for juvenile delinquency. there are many factors involved, including biological, environmental, social, and punitive influences. nathan fisher acknowledges this in his article "factors leading to bad juvenile behavior."
- Explains that fisher took an unbiased approach in his study of juvenile delinquency causes. his references and resources were valid and reliable, including the u.s. department of justice and the american association for marriage and family therapy.
- Explains that evidence has been seen to support fisher's points as contributing to causes of juvenile delinquency.
- Explains that biological influence is the first factor addressed by fisher. children who exhibit anti-social behaviors, slow cognitive growth, abnormal emotional development, and/or attention hyperactivity disorder are at a higher risk for juvenile delinquency.
- Explains that nathan fisher considers punitive factors when weighing causes of juvenile delinquency.
- Analyzes how fisher hits at the social ecology theory and anomie theory in his final sentence on the topic of environmental factors.
- Analyzes how fisher describes the social learning theory. children are influenced in a negative way by their peers or poor role models. criminal behavior is learned in small groups or by watching others.
- Analyzes how nathan fisher explained the various factors that lead to juvenile delinquency in an unbiased and accurate way.
854 wordsRead More - Juvenile Delinquency Essayexplanatory essayA critical issue, perhaps most injurious to our futures, involves the criminal tendencies of our youth. Juvenile delinquency is without a doubt one of the most crucial topics that we face in our society today. Children and teens do not only shape our future, but will also pave the footsteps for future generations. What prompts this criminal behavior? And why is the proportion of delinquents in society seemingly increasing? As we will see, many factors play a role in molding personality; these factors include gender, family, and schools.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that juvenile delinquency is one of the most crucial topics that we face in our society today. many factors play a role in molding personality.
- Explains that gender differences play a role in behavioral outcomes such as socialization, personality, and cognition.
- Explains that extended families are increasing and the chances of a child growing up with one or no parent are more likely now than they were years ago.
- Explains how genetics plays a role on delinquent behavior, and how peer groups influence the outcome of children's behavior.
- Explains how gangs influence delinquent behavior, and why kids join them. gang members often choose wisely as to who they want in their group.
- Explains that schools have an effect on juvenile delinquency, but not entirely in a good way.
- Opines that drugs have a high impact on delinquent behavior, since 50% of high school seniors have tried drugs at least once in their lifetime.
- Opines that juvenile delinquency is affected by gender, family, and other factors discussed.
1472 wordsRead More - Essayexplanatory essayThere are many variables that affect and influence a juvenile to commit certain delinquent acts. One important variable that has always caused a rise in questions when referring to why juveniles commit delinquent acts, is whether or not their family state has had any direct impact with their decisions. There are a few different family structures that may have an effect on juveniles and the choices they make, either good or bad. The main family structure that has had an impact on delinquency is the single-parent household. Single-Parent households have continually become more popular and have brought to question the possible relationship of this type of family structure having a direct impact with delinquency among juveniles.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there are many variables that affect and influence a juvenile to commit certain delinquent acts, such as whether or not their family state has had any direct impact with their decisions.
- States that research has discovered statistically significant relationships between single-parent homes and juvenile delinquency.
- Explains that family structure is an important variable to consider when considering what ultimately causes juveniles to become fully engaged with delinquency.
- Explains that family structure is an important variable to consider when determining the cause of juvenile delinquency.
735 wordsRead More - Racial Profiling by Police is Not Correctexplanatory essayThompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that experience is very valuable and can aid in making decisions or judgment calls, especially for law enforcement given the nature of their line of work.
- Explains that racial profiling is discriminatory and that officers will use profiles created based on race as reasonable suspicion against an individual. criminologists develop typologies from criteria that distinguish one criminal from another.
- Opines that the use of racial profiling has been condemned from multiple perspectives.
- Explains that even with formal policies in place, some officers will still make decisions as an individual. this is why noble-cause corruption occurs and that's why racial profiling is still being utilized by certain police officers.
- Opines that law enforcement has a difficult job of catching criminals and protecting citizens. however, racial profiling is far from noble.
- Explains that pearson education, inc. has published a 5th edition of understanding violence and victimization.
- Summarizes ramirez, mcdevitt, and farrell's resource guide on racial profiling data collection systems: promising practices and lessons learned.
1073 wordsRead More - Delinquency in the White Middle-Class Youth of Americaanalytical essayAcross the wide body of studies delving into delinquency in America, it is easy to locate research on and analysis of minorities, underprivileged socioeconomic urban centers, and turbulent family structures. However, this leaves a significant section of the delinquent population largely neglected: white middle-class youth. Contrary to the factors shown to affect delinquency in others and the applications of theory applied to them, the issues plaguing this particular portion of adolescents are in many cases entirely unique, suggesting the necessity of a more nuanced approach from angles that have up until fairly recently remained unexplored.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that delinquency in america is largely neglected by studies on minorities, underprivileged socioeconomic urban centers, and turbulent family structures. the issues plaguing this particular portion of adolescents are in many cases entirely unique.
- Explains that currie conducted a study in 2000 to 2002, funded by the u.s. department of health and human services, that looked into the lives of adolescents undergoing treatment for substance abuse.
- Analyzes how currie's candid and simple writing style makes the book easy for the reader to connect with as vivid descriptions of addicted lifestyles and negligent treatment bring to life an array of societal ailments.
- Explains currie, elliot, the road to whatever: middle-class culture and the crisis of adolescence.
- Analyzes how currie seeks to explore causes for delinquency among white middle-class american youth, analyze methods of absolution, and suggest policy and community changes that may serve to help this often-overlooked demographic.
- Analyzes how currie outlines the gradual slide from conformity to offending brought about by increasing apathy, attributed to the culture surrounding white middle-class adolescents.
- Analyzes currie's supposition that the "whatever" culture of apathy on the rise in white middle-class youth eases them into delinquency.
- Cites lerman, paul, and skyes, gresham m. and david matza in "techniques of neutralization: a theory of delinquency."
1165 wordsRead More