Criminal Justice

In your original discussion post, I require that you cite at least two pieces of concrete evidence. This means that you need to cite, at least twice, from a source in this class: the textbook, media shared in “Connecting it to the real world” or optional articles in “Connecting it to research.” I require this because I want your discussions to be based on evidence – I want your responses to be substantive. Further, this is a 400-level class where we are reading, writing, and thinking about research in a concrete manner. When asked to support your positions, please cite correctly to avoid plagiarizing and to receive full credit. All original posts should be at least 1-2 substantive paragraphs in length. All response posts should be at least 3-4, non-repetitive, substantive sentences.

This assignment aligns with Module 2 Learning Objective #1-3.

In this module, we have been learning about theories that can help explain delinquency. If you had to choose one theory to predict all delinquency behavior, what would you pick and why? How is it superior to the other theories you learned about? Please support your claims with evidence. Then, I want you to play devil’s advocate – what are the shortcomings of the theory that you think is “best?” What challenged you when trying to pick a theory as “best?”

ANSWER

Delinquency Theories

Delinquency usually refers to criminal acts performed by juveniles usually between the age of 14 and 15. Delinquency usually starts with petty crimes, which eventually advance to violent crimes between the ages of 16 and 17 (Kubrin, 2009). Delinquent crimes are crimes that are punishable by law if the perpetrator was an adult. There are several theories on the causes of delinquency, and social disorganization theory is one of the theories that can be used to predict all delinquent behaviors. According to the theory of social disorganization, a person’s behavior is shaped by the physical and social environment surrounding them (Bond, 2015). The location is a key factor when trying to predict delinquent behavior in this theory. According to the research done by McKay and Shaw (1942), the poorer and racially mixed neighborhoods are likely to experience higher cases of crime. Delinquency is not caused at an individual level. It is an abnormality acquired by normal people from abnormal situations.

The social disorganization theory is superior to the other delinquency theories as it carries with it all the characteristics of the other theories. A person living in a poorer neighborhood is likely to steal to fit in with affluent classmates or friends. This characteristic is found in the strain theory, where the delinquent is driven by greed and materialism (Siegel & Welsh). This theory is better in predicting delinquent behavior as it has most of the characteristics of other theories. Therefore, it is a combination of the other theories in one place. Juveniles living in areas with high criminal activities acquire criminal traits (Siegel & Welsh). The challenge with this theory is that it leads to people from more impoverished neighborhoods, sometimes being accused of crimes they did not commit. The theory usually characterizes all juveniles living in poor neighborhoods as criminals, affecting the juveniles and their lives. It was hard singling out a single theory as all the theories look credible. The social disorganization theory is also controversial as one might seem prejudiced against the poor and other races.

References

Bond, M. (2015). Social Disorganization Theory Explained.

Kubrin, C. E. (2009). Social disorganization theory: Then, now, and in the future. In Handbook on crime and deviance (pp. 225-236). Springer, New York, NY.

McKay, H.D, & Shaw, C. (1942). Social Disorganization Theory.

Siegel, L.J & Welsh, C. B. (N.d). Juvenile Delinquency. Chapter 4, structure process culture and delinquency.