Middle-Class Delinquency's Relationship to Gangs - Free Paper Sample

It is curious how some studies concerning middle-class suburban youth in the striking volume of activities associated with juvenile delinquency exist. Possibly, this under-demonstration comes from certified sources that have shown how middle-class suburban communities have low delinquency rates. Youths with a humble socioeconomic background live in inner-city areas, conversely, have experienced too high delinquency rates and are, in many cases, the focus of delinquency studies (Cohen, 2015). Nonetheless, personal-reported cases of delinquent behavior and other current authorized information show how the incidence of delinquency among middle-class inhabited people is higher compared to former reports by official sources (Cohen, 2015). This factor, together with the rapid development of suburban areas and the middle-class population, gives an incentive to advance investigations of the occurrence of middle-class suburban delinquency (Cohen, 2015).

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According to Pyrooz et al. (2017), in 2010, the prevalence rate of delinquency cases was 20%, while most of them were middle-class youth from deficient regions. Studies attempting to describe middle-class delinquency can be usually grouped according to those established on social class and those that are not. For instance, other assumptions or theories about the root of middle-class delinquency and the relationship to gangs are relatively related to theories explaining lower-class delinquency.

Cohen (2015) asserts that middle-class delinquency is an outcome of the denial of middle-class standards and recognition of lower-class lifestyles by middle-class teenagers. Cohen (2015) created a leisure framework that tries to explain middle-class delinquency depending on the microeconomic model. The authors explain that youth choose delinquent or non-delinquent tasks depending on the cost and benefits; however, their theory is not based on class. There are several theories containment, differential association, and control. Those theories have been formed by Shoemaker (2018). The views are not based on class, and they account for main groups (peers, school, and family), which consist of the adolescent social environment.

The assumption that each segment in society internalizes middle-class strivings is a mere statement (Shoemaker, 2018). Delinquency is an outcome of aggravated striving by adult status. Our community fails to create enough preparation for youth progression to adults; young individuals often develop their own symbolic and ritual behavior to help them familiarize themselves with adulthood. Teenager retreats from the challenges to an adult status like work certificates and compulsory schooling through gang utilization as a structured outlet for hostility towards the adulthood socialization world.

Background

Though gang-related issues and actions did not exist until the early nineteenth century, gangs in the U.S. began at the moment American evolution ended (Pyrooz et al., 2017). The occurrence of street gangs as a result of immigration and poverty. Foreigners from European countries fled to the United States to find a better life. Since then, criminal members have drastically increased. In the past three years, gang membership in the United States has continued to improve tremendously (Pyrooz et al., 2017).

These gangs pose a massive threat to societies since they account for many crimes in the state, targeting young and vulnerable individuals. It is possible to prevent young individuals from gangs and avoid juvenile delinquency by understanding why youth join delinquency gangs.

Relationships between Gangs and Middle-class Delinquency

Middle-class youth do not become delinquent for the same reason as lower-class individuals. An individual can become delinquent due to reasons such as: staying in a transforming neighborhood, being involved with the wrong company, inadequate family support, unfavorable family atmosphere, and natural involvement in improper habits. Gang membership reinforces delinquent behavior. According to Brotherton (2015), if distinguished from youth who are not in gangs, gang members are further involved in delinquency, particularly violent and severe neglect. Association with delinquent peers also leads to negligence. Peer delinquency is among the significant causes of delinquency, which researchers have recognized.

The impact of being in a gang has never been removed from the effect of relating to delinquent peers. Several gang researchers have insinuated that gang membership initiates appropriately diverse experiences rather than dealing with delinquent peer groups. Brotherton (2015) argues that street gangs are somehow unique and qualitatively different compared to other categories and groups of lawbreakers. Despite researchers perceiving gangs as qualitatively different, there is no current study, which has tried to unravel the effect of gang membership from those of delinquent peers on participation in delinquency.

Suburban Population Growth

During the past decades, the United States has experienced demographic variations, particularly in suburban growth. From the 1900s to the 1970s urban population rises from less than a third to more than two-thirds of the U.S. The population has grown exponentially following the massive movement of most individuals from rural areas to towns and cities, in search of employment opportunities. As more infrastructures got set up in the urban, job opportunities were created, hence the growth in the population. Another cause of the rising suburban population is the increased rate of immigration in the United States. The U.S. is the leading economy in the world that promoted and substantially invested in the Industrial Revolution, thus attracting neighborhoods and people from other continents.

Methodology

Quantitative research is the method used. The research experts selected the technique because of the evident need to assess the hypothesis obtainable at the start of the study (Park & Park 2016). This quantitative research method consists of interviews, observations, and surveys to explain the effect of middle-class delinquency and their relationship to gangs. It will involve data collection from families whose children are involved in these acts, students, some members of the community, and youth. The quantitative procedure helps the researcher collect data that would be statically quantified and analyzed. A qualitative method shall be incomplete in gathering descriptive interpretations and experiential because there would be a necessity to assess the influence delinquencies have on society.

Qualitative research is not suitable for this study because it will fail to address the investigations that require quantitative and statistical treatment. Researchers will be limited in gathering experiential and descriptive interpretations of a phenomenon as there will be a necessity to measure the effects of delinquencies in youth lives. Therefore, qualitative research will not be suitable for this research. The approach will not address the inquiries requiring statistical and quantification treatment. Contrarily, the mixed methodology might be inappropriate due to the quantitative process's adequate nature to tackle research questions.

Design

A quasi-experimental design is used to assess the number of youth who have joined gangs by choice or due to other reasons. The researchers will achieve standard data on gang involvement in delinquency activities since their participation in the research process. Follow-up statistics will be gathered at the end of 8 weeks. The research design is quasi-experimental and quantitative in that mean differences are to be used, but numerical proof shall not interfere. The study does not use correct randomization of partakers (influence of the independent variable); therefore, the outcomes are inferred as suggestive of the relationship between gangs and middle-class delinquency but not proof that it works. The research uses an analysis of co-variance to assess for mean differences among an intervention and control group. Researchers implemented a before and a posting strategy to obtain the mean differences amongst groups and monitor the pre-post effects after gang delinquency involvement. While analyzing co-variance procedures, statistical analysis will help achieve results among different groups of people who experienced adverse effects of delinquencies from both their children and other members. The method will also help the researcher to assess the mean difference of variables to the different strategies used.

Research Questions

The research questions used were:

1. Does gang membership intensify delinquent behaviors?
2. What is the relationship between middle class and gang membership?
3. What is the reason that drives many youths to join gangs?

Participants

The participants of this research were approximately 20 households and 10 different schools. The sample consisted of both adults and children from other families with varying views on delinquent behaviors. Individuals with gangs in their homes will also have a chance to state their effects after their children get involved. Students and youth got the researchers' ability to participate, and experts summarily eliminated their scores from the sample, proceeding to statistical measurements. Participants were also to give their views on the involvement of gang membership. Parents of middle-class children were interviewed by researchers about their perception of their children's participation in these activities and what might have been the reason that made them choose to be involved in a gang.

Materials

The instrument used was a survey instrument designed to assess several measurements. The measurements consisted of crimes, attitudes about youth involved in gangs, perceptions from communities, attitudes relating to gangs' connection, and middle-class delinquency. A written questionnaire helped in collecting data from children who could not get interviewed. Questionnaires discovered participants' demographic characteristics such as gender, age, ethnicity, and level of education. In data analysis, descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, and range) describe the demographic characteristics. Several tests, including the U and t-tests, helped in comparing mean differences among groups. Logistic regression techniques helped evaluate the relation of middle-class children with several independent variables continuously and control for different variables, including age and gender.

Data Analysis

Essential demographic information collected on participants helped develop a standard profile of the two groups (intervention and control). Intercoder consistency statistics will be measured using the cross-tabs menu in PSAW/SPSS. The researchers obtained analysis through Analyzing-Descriptive Statistics- Cross-tabs. Coding a coder will be placed in the Rows box while the other coder for each coding and placed in the Columns box. Getting Cohen's Kappa will be through tapping Continue then OK. Across tables will be used to measure the percentage of agreement. Usually, an o.8 Kappa is perceived as too high in reliability. Experts shall use Co-variance analysis (ANCOVA) to determine mean variations among groups after controlling pre-test delinquencies and gang membership.