JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

THE CORE 5E

Chapter 3: Individual

Views of Delinquency:

Choice and Trait

Choice Theory

• Classical criminology

• Cesare Beccaria & Jeremy Bentham

• Choice Theory

• Argues that people weigh and consider

the consequences prior to the

commission of their behaviors

• Holds that the decision to violate the law

comes after a careful weighing of the

benefits

• Assumes that people have “free will” to

choose their behavior

The Rational Delinquent

 The view that delinquents choose to violate the law

remains a popular approach to the study of delinquents

 In reality, many youths from affluent families choose to

break the law

 Delinquent motives include:

 Economic need/opportunity

 Problem solving

 False expectations

 Opportunity

Routine Activities Theory

 Developed by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson

 The view that crime is a normal function of the routine activities of

modern living

 Predatory crimes

 Violent crimes against persons and crimes in which an offender

attempts to steal an object from its holder are influenced by three

variables:

① The availability of suitable targets

② The absence of capable guardians

③ The presence of motivated offenders

FIGURE 3.1 Routine Activities Theory Helps Explain Fluctuations

in the Delinquency Rate

Choice Theory and

Delinquency Prevention

 General Deterrence

 Crime control policies that depend on the fear of criminal penalties,

i.e. long prison sentences for violent crime

 A guiding principle of deterrence is based on:

 The severity of the punishment

 The certainty of the punishment

 The swiftness of the punishment

 There is evidence that adolescents who perceive they will be

arrested and punished for a crime will often forego delinquent acts

Choice Theory and

Delinquency Prevention

• Specific Deterrence

• If young offenders are punished severely they will not repeat their

illegal acts

• “Learn from their own mistakes”

• For example, sending convicted offenders to secure

incarceration facilities; punishment is severe enough to

convince them not to repeat their criminal activity

• However, in some cases experiencing punishment may

actually increase the likelihood of reoffending

Choice Theory and

Delinquency Prevention • Problems with a strict deterrence strategy:

• Minors are not “rational”

• Experienced offenders do not fear the legal consequences

• high-risk offenders may not fear getting arrested

• Many juveniles are under influence of drugs/alcohol

• Juveniles often commit crimes in groups – “co-offending”

• Most serious delinquents are not able to comprehend

consequences

• Punishment may produce defiance, rather than deterrence

Choice Theory and

Delinquency Prevention  Situational Crime Prevention

 In order to reduce delinquency, crime control must recognize the

characteristics of sites and situations that are at risk to crime

 Delinquency can be

neutralized if:

 Potential offenders are carefully guarded

 The means to commit crime are controlled

 Potential offenders are carefully monitored

 Situational crime prevention includes:

 Hot spot and crackdowns

Trait Theories: Biosocial and

Psychological Views

 Origins of Trait Theory

 The school of thought is generally believed to have originated with

the Italian physician Cesar Lombroso (1835-1909)

 Father of Criminology

 Criminal Atavism

 Idea that delinquents manifest physical anomalies that make them

biologically and psychologically similar to our primitive ancestors

 By the middle of the 20th century, biological theories had

fallen out of favor

Trait Theories: Biosocial and

Psychological Views

• Contemporary Trait Theory

• For the most of the 20th century, delinquency research focused on

social factors

• Trait theories argue that a combination of personal traits and

environmental factors lead to behavior patterns

• Today’s trait theories: • Biosocial theory

• Delinquency can be found in a child’s physical or

biological makeup

• Psychological traits and characteristics

Mug Shot Study –

Current Example

Biosocial Theories of Delinquency

Focuses on the association between biological

makeup, environmental conditions, and antisocial

behaviors

Three areas of biosocial theories:

① Biochemical factors

② Neurological function

① Genetic history

Biochemical Factors

• Suspected relationship between antisocial behavior and

biochemical makeup

• Biochemical problems can begin at conception

• i.e., maternal alcohol abuse

• Environmental contamination, such as children exposed to high

levels of air pollution

• There is evidence that a child’s diet may influences his or

her behavior

• Hormonal levels, such as increased levels of

testosterone, are also associated with antisocial

behavior

Neurological Dysfunction

• Neurological dysfunction, such as minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) is

associated with antisocial behavior

• Teenage brains:

• Teenage brains can make them crime prone

• ADHD:

• Condition in which a child shows a developmentally

inappropriate lack of attention and impulse

• Learning Disabilities (LD):

• Studies show that arrested children

have a higher rate of LDs

than children in the general

population

• Arousal Theory:

• “Thrill” and “sensation seekers”

Genetic Influences

 It assumes:

 Antisocial behavior is inherited

 The genetic makeup of parent is passed on to children

 Genetic abnormality is directly linked to antisocial behaviors

 Three approaches to test the association:

① Parental deviance

② Twin studies

③ Adoption studies

Criminal Twins –

Current Example

Psychological Theories of Delinquency

 Many delinquent youths have poor home lives, and

destructive relationships with people around them; this

can indicate a disturbed personality

 One study of incarcerated youths found that at least 88% of males

and 92% of females had a psychiatric disorder

 Three prominent psychological perspectives:

① Psychodynamic theory

② Behavioral theory

③ Cognitive theory

FIGURE 3.2 Psychological Perspectives of

Delinquency

Psychodynamic Theory

 Psychodynamic Theory

 Branch of psychology that holds that the human personality is

controlled by unconscious mental processes

 Originated by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

 Personality consists of three major components:

① Id

② Ego

③ Superego

 The theory suggests that an imbalance in personality traits, caused

by early childhood, can result in long-term psychological difficulties

Behavioral Theory/Cognitive Theory

• Behavioral Theory

• Argument that personality is learned throughout life during

interactions with others

• “Behaviorism” concerns the study of observable behavior,

rather than unconscious processes; focuses on particular

stimuli and responses to them

• Kids learn through reward and punishment

• Cognitive Theory

• Studies the perception of reality and the mental processes

required to understand the world we live in

Personality and Delinquency

• Personality

• The stable patterns of behavior, including thoughts and emotions,

that distinguish one person from the other

• Hans Eysenck’s two traits associate with antisocial

behavior:

①Extraversion

• Impulsive individuals who lack the ability to examine their

own motives

②Neuroticism

• Individuals who are anxious and emotionally unstable

Personality and Delinquency

Psychopathic personality

Also known as: Sociopathic or antisocial

personality

A person lacking in warmth, exhibiting inappropriate

behavior responses, and unable to learn from

experience

 Is defined by persistent violations of social norms

VA Tech Massacre –

Current Example

Intelligence and Delinquency

 Delinquents believed to be substandard in intelligence

and thus inclined to commit more crimes

 Nature Theory:

 Intelligence is inherited and is a function of genetic makeup

 Nurture Theory:

 Intelligence is determined by environmental stimulation and socialization

Trait Theory and Delinquency Prevention

• Prevention efforts should be directed at strengthening a

youth’s home life and relationships

• Prenatal/Early Infancy Project (PEIP)

• One of the best known home visitation programs

• Individual approaches have been used to prevent

adjudicated youths from engaging in further criminal

activities

• Rehabilitation methods include psychological counseling or

prescribed psychotropic medications

Summary

Ability to distinguish between the 2 branches of individual-

level theories of delinquency

Know the principles of choice theory

Familiarity with the branches and substance of biological

trait theory

The various psychological theories of delinquency