Essay Exploring Criminology: From Situational Crime Prevention to Juvenile Delinquency

1-Explain the concept of situational crime prevention.

Situational crime prevention has its major focus on more immediate opportunities for offending. It seeks to reduce the harm caused by crime by altering the immediate factors found in the environment where there is a regular occurrence of crimes. An example of situational crime prevention is installing surveillance equipment in your business, especially when it is an area that is prone to vandalism. Similarly, banks install security cameras to prevent any types of robberie that could happen. This way, situational crime prevention intends to reduce a particular type of crime.

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2-Outline and explain the principles and assumptions of the General Theory of Crime.

The general theory of crime hypothesizes that low self-control is the cause of the propensity towards the criminal behavior of an individual. More research continues to show that low self-control levels are related to criminal and impulsive conduct. The theory does not identify the operational measures of low self-control to be separate from the tendency of one to commit a crime as it should explain. The theory provides scholars with a set of testable propositions and hence has a broad micro-level scope as well as providing consistent empirical support.

3-Explain the association between socialization and female delinquency.

The involvement of females in different activities may affect their behavior which leads to delinquency. The socialization in different environments may affect how an individual responds to other matters. There are more adverse effects of economic disadvantage, exposure to violence, and experiences with maltreatment that affect the delinquency of females. Many stressors interfere with an individual’s mind and can cause conflicts that put females at a greater risk of being delinquent. An example include, females who lack family supervision and monitoring may develop to be rebellious in the future.

4-Explain and compare the various theories of gang formation.

Theories of gang formation can either be criminological or psychological. The criminological theories focus mostly on the social aspects of crime. These include gangs being formed due to aspects such as economic and social strain, social relationships, the moral order or being attached to the society. On the other hand, psychological theories are focused on the psychological process that makes people vulnerable to the decision to form a gang. An example is that a group of youths may form a gang to steal because they strain economically and have no money while others may form a gang because they want to belong to a group of bad people.

5-Identify and explain the factors that contribute to delinquency in schools.

Poor school attendance where students are not encouraged to learn such a routine tend to lose it on establishing good habits. Children then realize that they do not have to comply with the norms and turn to bad behavior

Violence at home in the presence of a child contributes to delinquency. These children tend to adopt a “don’t care” attitude that allows them to get into trouble easily.

Peer pressure is also a great contributor to delinquency in schools because the direct friends of the individual make them end up in bad situations if they are also delinquent.

Socioeconomic factors contribute to delinquency because students in poor neighborhoods are more likely to engage in criminal behaviors such as theft.

Substance abuse is also another contributor to delinquency because when children are exposed to such, they become dependent and feel the need to commit crimes.

6-Explain the main reasons why youths take drugs.

Youths take drugs as a form of escape and self-medication such that when they are unhappy, they find a way to relieve their frustration by using drugs. There are youths who abuse prescription pain relievers because they want to cope with academic or emotional stress

Youths take drugs because they are bored. When they cannot tolerate being alone or when they have trouble keeping themselves occupied, they result to using a drug that will help fill the internal void that they feel

Youths take drugs because of the popular media because they may agree with statements that marijuana is cool.

Youths succumb to peer pressure and end up using drugs because their colleagues are doing the same.

7-Explain the factors that affect the juvenile crime rate.

Poverty is a factor that increases the juvenile crime rate. Children who grow up in poor neighborhoods tend to find any means possible to survive and the easier option is to engage in petty crimes like stealing

The lack of access to education leads to a higher crime rate among children because they have nowhere to be taught about societal norms or what is expected of them as they go about their daily duties.

When children lack moral guidance, they end up committing crimes that they think are normal ways of life such as truancy and vandalism.

8-Provide the pros and cons of the juvenile justice system’s goal to treat rather than punish.

The pros include the fact that the juveniles can be put under rehabilitation. That goes a long way in helping them develop a sense of responsibility and accountability. Similarly, the offenders are helped to hold up morality and have correct judgment. Another advantage is that it helps prevent juveniles from being exposed to the harsh environment in prisons.

The cons of using the juvenile justice system to treat rather than to punish is the setback that offenders can be deviant in their actions to society. They are capable of relapsing really quickly and may not be fully rehabilitated. They still repeat the crimes because the rehabilitation may not teach them the punishment they deserve.

9-Explain the issues of the trial stage of juvenile justice, including constitutional rights of youths and disposition.

The issues of the trial stage include the inhumane incarceration of the youth. It is a prohibition for them to be incarcerated in adult facilities but the problem is that such practices are still abundant.

There are many people who get brought to trial and are sentenced in ways that violate the rights of human beings. The trial stage is quite unforgiving and it is important that there be international principles that recognize the deprivation of liberty for children.

10-Why is the study of delinquency important and what does this study entail?

The study of delinquency is important because it helps to describe and determine the delinquent behavior that is common among individuals through theory and also research. The theoretical part will be necessary to provide systematic and logical arguments that specify the important aspects to focus on while engaging in the practical bit. Studying also plays an important role in improving the dissemination of information concerning human behavior and increasing knowledge on the programs meant to address crimes.

11- Explain the basic principles of restorative justice.

Restorative justice seeks to repair the harm caused by a crime

It ensures that the people who have been most affected by the crime participate in the resolution

Restorative justice uses a process that provides a framework for promoting the work of recovery and ensuring that the ultimate domain is the healing of the victim. The victims and the offenders are all involved in the repair of the harm.

12-Compare and contrast the effects of good and bad parenting on delinquency.

Good parenting is negatively linked to delinquency because when a parent shows high levels of support and warmth to their little ones, there is a low chance of the child committing any crime. However, bad parenting is positively linked to delinquency. When a parent shows very low levels of support, there is a high chance of the children being delinquent.

13-Identify and explain the major historical events that gave rise to the present focus on delinquency.

Some of the major historical events include the initial viewing of young offenders as innocent children and youthful criminal activities that were symptomatic of impoverished social contexts. The rehabilitative model included the purpose of correctional interventions that provided the treatment of young offenders needed so that they could avoid a life of crime. In the 1960s and 1970s, the courts and legislatures introduced procedures that were due processes in juvenile delinquency proceedings. Many reforms have happened of late because juvenile crimes have become relatively low.

14-Explain the concept of social process and socialization.

The concept of social process is that there are forms of social interaction that occur repeatedly. There are ways that individuals and groups interact that lead to establishing social relationships. The concept of socialization refers to the process through which people are taught to be effective members of society by understanding societal norms and expectations.

15-Explain the key legal aspects of police work, including search and seizure and custodial interrogation, and how they apply to juveniles.

The legal aspects of police work include personnel procedures that are based on merit, enforcing the law equally, and the use of new technology. The police can engage in search and seizure if they meet the requirements of the warrant being filed in good faith, the warrant must be issued by a detached magistrate and must provide reliable information to show probable cause to search. The police work also includes custodial interrogation to obtain information from the individual. The police engage in these legal aspects to determine the crimes of juveniles and provide evidence during trial.