The central objective of the term paper was to highlight five theories that define juvenile delinquency or criminal behavior among adolescents and teenagers. The focus on delinquency among the young was informed by the fact that it was commonplace in the modern society. For instance, close to 1.6 million cases of juvenile delinquency were reported in the US in 2011 (Thompson " Morris, 2016). Theories associated with juvenile delinquency included conflict theory, social learning, symbolic interactionism, biological, and structural functionalism. The structural functionalism theory was subdivided into the differential opportunity theory, subcultural and control theory. According to the control theory, human interests were primarily driven by self-interests, internal and external controls that restrained individuals from engaging in offensive behaviors. In contrast, the social learning theory posited that all inappropriate behaviors including juvenile delinquency were learned (Ward, 2014).
Literature Review
Social Learning Theory
According to the social learning theory, all aberrant social behaviors were learned; therefore, it was possible for the subject to unlearn such behaviors. The arguments advanced in the social learning theory were considered valid given that humans acquired knowledge in a social context that was primarily defined by social norms. Besides, it is typical for persons either in their childhood or adulthood to be influenced mainly by role models (Reed et al., 2010). Therefore, if the role model was engaged in delinquent behavior the individual might be motivated to participate in such acts (differential association) (Morris " Higgins, 2010). Besides, the link between social learning theory and juvenile delinquency could also be elucidated based on the understanding that social interactions take place in an environment that can impact the behavior of the subject. The validity of the social learning theory was affirmed given that the method had been employed to elucidate criminal behavior among adolescents and teenagers over the last four decades (Pratt et al., 2010). The social learning theory explained why Mike Tyson was a juvenile delinquent (Greenfield, 2011) due to the criminal activities that defined African American neighborhoods.
Conflict Theory
According to the conflict theory, juvenile delinquency was a product of economic contradictions and power relations (MacDonald, 2009). Besides, the conflict theory also advanced the view that modern societies were in a constant state of conflict that was primarily attributed to the scarcity of available resources. Therefore, those in power maintained social order through dominance rather than consensus (Investopedia, 2018). The imposition of one’s will over subordinate groups was likely to result in juvenile delinquency especially given that some groups did not accept the social ideologies and controls imposed on specific cultural categories.
The mismatch between an individual’s behaviors and the social ideologies and controls could trigger juvenile delinquency as a form of resistance to ideological conformity (MacDonald, 2009). For instance, certain religions such as Islam in the Middle East or Protestant Christianity in the US might be forced upon minorities because those in power intend to advance certain ideologies. However, such doctrines might not be accepted by the entire population. Besides, conflict is bound to occur mainly when such ideologies are meant to restrict or regulate human behaviors (MacDonald, 2009). Therefore, according to the conflict theory, juvenile delinquency was primarily triggered by the conflict between the norms and values of a given subculture and those that were prevalent in the general culture (Einat " Herzog, 2011). According to (Einat " Herzog, 2011), young persons constituted a specific subculture with unique values and norms regarding crimes that are not in line with adult views and morals regarding crime.
Symbolic Interactionism Theory
The symbolic interactionism theory hypothesized that delinquent behavior is primarily associated with social definitions and meanings, which in turn affected human behavior. However, such meanings were interpreted differently given that modern societies were a mosaic of different cultures with divergent religions, ethnicities, gender, age, and social classes. According to Stryker (2008), social diversity was at times dependent while at other times it was independent or even conflicting. The law enforcement agencies and the legal system played a significant role in the derivation of meaning and definitions to social behavior. For instance, juveniles were most likely to engage to engage in delinquent behavior if the volume of positive interpretations exceeded the negative descriptions (Stryker, 2008), it was common for persons to engage in criminal behavior including white-collar crime as long as such action was regarded as acceptable by the friends or acquaintances.
Structural Functionalism
The structural functionalism approach argued that delinquent behavior in the society was primarily attributed to the breakdown or strain of social order. In particular, the theory claimed that the absence of social order in social institutions such as the education system or the family units were triggers for delinquent behavior (Khromina, 2007). The view was supported by the fact that schools and families had an integral role in the society and the power to mold personal behaviors to conform to the social values. Thus, juvenile delinquency was bound to occur if there were marked disparities between the social goals (financial success and educational achievement) and the channels available to attain such goals.
Social conflict resulting in delinquent behavior occurred if there were no adequate means to attain the social goals; this explains why adolescents and teenagers from underprivileged background had a higher probability of engaging in criminal behavior compared to their peers from privileged backgrounds. Thus, juvenile delinquency could be partly attributed to status frustration. The viewpoint formed the central theme of the subcultural theory, which explained deviant behavior based on subcultures.
According to the subcultural theory, deviant behavior attributed to the breakdown of social order could be remedied through sterilization, segregation or socialization (Blackman, 2014). Besides, the delinquent behavior observed among the young could be attributed to the differential opportunities that they were exposed to in their formative years. There was a significant chance for the minors from underprivileged backgrounds to engage in crime as they strived to improve their socioeconomic conditions. Therefore, social strains acted as catalysts for criminal behavior (Blair, 2013).
Biological and Biosocial Theory
The biological and biosocial theory was founded on empirical observations, which illustrated that there was a clear pattern between the minor’s behavior and his or her biological origins. For instance, it was common for adolescents and teenagers born out of wedlock to engage in delinquent behaviors (Kostić, 2013). Similar trends were observed among orphans. Therefore, biological and hereditary factors were considered triggers for inappropriate social behavior. In addition to the hereditary factors, it was noted that the upbringing also determined whether the minor would engage in delinquent behavior. Moreover, the absence of formal education had the potential to transform mannered children to delinquents; these observations were in line with the structural functionalism theory.
Apart from the issues associated with the upbringing of the adolescent or teenager, some were naturally born with an inherent inclination to engage in crime (Kostić, 2013). In such cases, the role of parental influences was insignificant. Other theorists argued that the physical estate of the subject was an accurate predictor of whether the subject would engage in crime. However, the theoretical approach had not been validated.
Conclusion
The present term paper highlighted five fundamental theories that explained the origin of juvenile delinquency. Based on the social learning theory, it was noted that teenagers and adolescents acquired criminal behavior from social interactions and observations. Therefore, exposure to environments and social settings that encouraged crime or peers who engaged in crime increased the chances for the minor to engage in crime. In contrast, the conflict theory argued that juvenile delinquency was a product of the scarcity of resources and the imposition of ideologies by the dominant groups. The symbolic interactionism approach proposed that juvenile delinquency was associated with meanings, definitions, and differential opportunities. Therefore, minors were motivated to engage in crime if their actions were not considered as criminal by their close social circle. The structural functionalism theory postulated that delinquency among minors was triggered by the absence of social order in the school system or the family unit. The biological theory opined that juvenile delinquency was a product of genetic factors including the marital status of the parents at the time of conception. Based on the five theories, it was concluded that criminal behavior was associated with the lack of appropriate parental and social guidance.
References
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