Sociological Views Of Juvenile Delinquency

There are three views worth recognizing when discussing juvenile delinquency, choice views, sociological views and developmental views. These three theories attempt to explain what causes adolescents to turn to crime. Choice views of delinquency, was founded by Ceasare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham. These two theorists founded the idea that we as human have free will, and they concluded that individuals weigh the consequences of their actions before determining their actions or behaviors. The choice view of delinquency, is also referred to as rational choice theory, and it was the basis for classical criminology. Rational choice theorists believe that delinquents chose to commit crimes, and it is not determined by environmental influences.
They also chose to separate the term delinquency, from delinquent acts, for example, delinquency is classified as an act in which an adolescent breaks the law, and a delinquent is not solely classified as an individual, who breaks the law, they are also considered to be involved in normal adolescent proceedings, like school, or sports. Choice view theorists also believe that delinquent adolescents are motivated by economic needs, such as financial stability. They also suggest that juvenile delinquents may use crime as a problem solving method, or they could have false expectations of criminal mischief. Sociological views of delinquency believe that social relationships, such as family, peers, schools, jobs, and criminal justice agencies play a significant role in shaping adolescents.
Sociological theorists believe delinquency coincides with conditions of poverty, long-term unemployment, neighborhood deterioration, and cultural values. For example, they believe that poverty leads to social disorganization, which coincides with an erosion of traditional values. They have determined that an absence of informal, social control leads to a weakened institutional control, which aides in the development of criminal areas. Adults then pass on the social norms they have been accustomed to, which leads to a cultural transmission, which then has the ability to translate into some adolescents becoming career
criminals. The developmental view of delinquency focuses on the initial criminal act, the continuity, and the termination of an adolescent criminal career. There are three independent theories that relate to this, life course theory, latent trait theory, and trajectory theory. Life course theory, concludes that an adolescents misconduct is the result of a process that is influence by unique, individual characteristics, as well as social experiences and that the factors that determine antisocial behavior change throughout an individuals life. Latent trait theory, suggests that our development is persuaded by a master trait, that remains unchanged, throughout an individuals lifespan. They believe, this propensity remains unchanged and helps navigate the individual throughout their life. Trajectory theory, argues that there are many different types and classes of criminal offenders and they also believe there are many different ways for a individual to become delinquent. Although these theories prove to be fundamentally different, they are responsible for aiding public school systems in the fight against delinquent students.
It is because of these theories that schools have several methods of preventing and punishing delinquent students, for example, many schools now employ the use of closed circuit TV’s throughout the school ,and on school buses. They have introduced randomized drug screenings and locker searches, they have even employed police dogs to search for drugs, weapons, and other items that are considered contraband on school property. Many public schools have implemented a no tolerance policy regarding drugs, weapons, and even tobacco. Schools also limit access to students without proper verification, and they have employed an on duty police officer for the course of the school day. These preventative measures have successfully helped reduce many of the delinquent affairs that happen on school campuses across the country. For example, many schools no longer have to worry about fights, tobacco use, or illegal drugs due to these policies and procedures being
implemented. So in closing, although these theories are different, they prove useful for developing procedures to reduce, eliminate and understand adolescent delinquency.