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Essay Subject: Examines causes of juvenile criminal behavior. Theories (conflict, labeling, interactionism), motivation, gangs, drugs, violence, possible solutions.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines causes of juvenile criminal behavior. Theories (conflict, labeling, interactionism), motivation, gangs, drugs, violence, possible solutions. Paper Introduction: AN INVESTIGATION OF YOUTH VIOLENCE & OTHER CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS BY YOUNG PEOPLE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Number Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTION .............................. 1 Statement of the Problem .................. 1 Purpose of the Study ...................... 1 Method .................................... 2 Structure of the Study .................... 2 2 - TRENDS IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ............... 3 Trends in Juvenile Crime .................. 3 Causal Attributions ....................... 5 3 - EXPLANATIONS: AN ANALYSIS ................. 9 Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Prisons hold no fear for such youth. [lviii]Walinsky, 47. R., Hansell, S., and Brick, J. Benson and E. Q. One 1991 surveyreported that one-third of all Americans own handguns, and that seven-percent carry them outside the home.[lviii] Without entering the "right to bear arms" argument, the fact is thatthe proliferation of guns makes it easy for anyone in the United States whowants a gun to get one. One issue that appears to restrict the ability of all parties todevelop effective changes to the juvenile justice system is a failure torecognize that the character of juvenile offending in the United States isitself undergoing dramatic change. [liv]Walinsky, 46. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.Walinsky, A. [xxxvi]L. Sadock, (Eds.), Comprehensive Textbook ofPsychiatry V, Vol. C. http://www.141.218.7 .183/sped6 3fall97/ Boehmspaper.HtmlBrantley, A. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 1996, 117-142.Huff, C. The strongest demands for changein the juvenile justice system are coming from the general public andpoliticians increasingly are responding to demands for change. Too many of these children have learnedto kill without remorse, for a drug territory or for an insult, because ofa look or a bump on the sidewalk, or just to do it.[liv] These young people have been raised in the glare of ceaseless mediaviolence and incitement to every depravity of act and spirit. Lantieri, "Waging Peace in Our Schools: Beginning with theChildren," Phi Delta Kappan 76 (January 1995): 386. Labelingtheory represents an extreme school of thought that presumes that attachinga label to a person can cause that person to assume the symptoms,syndromes, and behaviors associated with the label. The cultural structure of American society also has been cited as acausal factor in the increasing frequency of violent and criminal behaviorby juveniles. C. Mulvey, and S. More andmore people are coming to the view that behavior termed criminally deviantis not necessarily socially unacceptable. In the contemporary period,however, there appears to be a stronger tendency on the part of an everlarger proportion of the population to engage in any activity, criminal ornot, that provides them with some degree of pleasure at almost any time.One reason that an ever growing proportion of the population appears to befindings criminal behavior an acceptable alternative to non criminalbehavior is the continuing socialization of criminal deviancy. [li]Harrison, 225. Barber, M. 28 ENDNOTES ........................................... One traincarried the legacy of the 197 s, the children of the explosion ofillegitimacy and paternal abandonment. Halasyamani, "A Review ofSelected School-Based Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Projects,"Journal of School Health 65 (December 1995): 426. Barlow, "Explaining Crimes and Analogous Acts, or theUnrestrained Will Grab at Pleasure Whenever They Can," Journal of CriminalLaw and Criminology 82 (1991): 229. When family members, coworkers, friends,strangers, ethnic and racial groups, and even nations perceive that theyare being denied something that they think that they should have(regardless of their justification for such a perception), the typicalresponse is to identify the party responsible for such denial. [ix]A. This proof may mean fighting a male gangmember for three minutes, then drinking an excessive amount of liquor,smoking marijuana, and finally battling drunk with several female members.Once accepted, members are bound by loyal neighborhood-gang ties thatsupersede blood ties, even in the face of death. B. Research has related a propensity to engage in criminal misconductwith a number of different factors. Government PrintingOffice, 1998), 1 3. Existing knowledgereveals a number of promising prevention strategies involving factors atwork in communities, in individuals, and in hazardous situations thatpresent special risks of violence. "Alcohol and Aggression Among Youth." Alcohol Health and Research World 17 (Spring 1993): 144-15 .Wilson, J. An Investigation of Youth Violence & Other Criminal Behaviors By Young People table of contents Page NumberChapter 1 - INTRODUCTION .............................. Inalmost all jurisdictions in the United States, such decisions are theprerogative of juvenile court judges. Crimehas been rising, nevertheless, because this smaller population has growndisproportionately more violent. Some young offenders, however, dopossess a competent understanding of the moral concepts of "right" and"wrong," as well as of the social constructs of the society in which theylive that dictate which behaviors are legally acceptable and whichbehaviors are legally unacceptable. 44). "Age, Social Context, and Street Gang Membership." Youth and Society 23 (June 1992): 434-451.Masters, R. Rather, prison frequently is viewed as a rite of passage that a majority of their peers may have experienced. [xxv]LaRossa & Reitzes, 143. New York: Plenum Press, 1993, 135-163.Lasley, J. Further, thegang organization provides a stable structure of a sort, in which eventsand behaviors are, to some extent predictable, whether or not they areconsidered by outsiders to be socially acceptable. J. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications, 199 .Kaplan, H. 9 Conflict Theory ........................... Such is the sensitization that street gang members are notsimply tolerant of violent and socially unacceptable behaviors; rather,they tend to seek out and precipitate situations for the display of suchbehaviors.[xxxvii] It is not unusual for individuals who participate in street gangs tospend time incarcerated in police lockups, county jails, or state prisons.For many individuals participating in street gangs, such incarcerationbecomes something of a status symbol. [viii]A. Many of these childrenhave come to believe that they will not live to be 25 years old. ideals in whose namethey are ordered around."[xxxi] Collins contended that interactionist ritual chains tie peopletogether or else set them off as status unequals. Cooperation among these agencies andcommunity-based organizations is needed in specific problem-solvinginitiatives to systematically test and refine promising violence preventiontactics. are alienated from the ... This approach is consistent with the concept of symbolicinteractionism. It is, according to socialinteractionists, through social interaction that "individuals apply broadshared symbols and actively create the special meanings of self, others,and situations."[xxvi] The interactionist model posits that social factors "enter not simplybefore and after but interactively during the experience ofemotion."[xxvii] Thus, the interactionist model recognizes several "pointsof social entry."[xxviii] According to the interactionist model, socialfactors help to shape feeling as feeling is being experienced by a person.As emotions are conceived in the interactionist model, social forcesprovide shape to biological sensations, thereby creating "a strip ofexperience with a name, a history, a meaning, and a consequence of acertain sort."[xxix] Collins considered emotions to be the product of interactions betweenrituals. As violent and criminal behavior among juveniles is notrestricted to minority-group juveniles; however, this argument loses someof its punch.[lxvi] Other observers contend that the solution to the problem of juvenilecrime and violence lies in the development of greater responsibility andcontrol among parents. Typically, a girl's involvement is gradual, beginning with casualsocializing until she expresses the desire to be "jumped in" or "courtedin," both of which are terms referring to initiation.[xli] Before they areaccepted, members must prove in a variety of ways both their loyalty andtheir desire to join the gang. It was not until 1991 that thefirst group of black children reached their mid-teens wherein fully 5 percent of them had been born to single mothers. Prominent among these factors are lowmeasured IQ, parental criminality, disruptive family situation, lowersocial class, low income, high unemployment, and substance abuse. Rather, such behavior must be viewed in its entire socialcontext. Thestudy is summarized and conclusions drawn from the research findings arepresented in Chapter 5. This action would exacerbate the problemof youth misbehavior in the general community and would fail to educatethose students turned out of school. Historical Criminal Justice Statistics for the United States. [lxvi]West, 12. The downwardtrends periodically reported by governmental agencies in relation tocriminal behavior by young people tend to be received skeptically by thegeneral public for two major reasons. The sad fact is, however, that today's parents arenot likely to suddenly become more responsible, nor are they likely tobegin to exercise greater control over their children. Conflict may be the result of realinequities among parties, or conflict may stem from cultural differencesthat shape perceptions.[xviii] Labeling Theory Labeling theory provides a set of cultural mechanisms to explain somesymptoms, syndromes, and behaviors acquired through learning. More andmore people appear to be coming to the view that behavior termed criminallydeviant is not necessarily socially unacceptable.[xxxiii] Socialrelationships often determine whether or not an individual will have anopportunity to participate in criminal activity, and whether or not anindividual will be encouraged in such behavior. Qualitative analysis facilitates an exploration indepth of potential relationships between variables and enhances thepossibly of the development of a plausible explanation for a cause andeffect relationship between societal variables and behavioral outcomes. Thisapproach, while highly popular among the general public and conservativepoliticians is not supported by most sociologists. Schools wouldonce again become places of learning, and the disruptions that would emergein the wider community would assure that both the general citizenry and thepoliticians would at last take effective social action to deal with theissue. Awide variety of explanations are offered for this phenomenon; however, fewsuch explanations have proved valid over the long-term.[x] One explanation offered for the increase in juvenile criminal andviolent behavior is desensitization. 1 Statement of the Problem .................. E. In 1985, however, the two phenomena diverged sharplyfrom one another. [xlv]Abner, 66. Potential solutions to the problem of youthcriminal behavior in the United States are discussed in Chapter 4. "Nihilism in Black America." In West, C. The best approach appears to be simply to bar disruptive and violentstudents from the secondary schools; thereby preserving those schools forthose students who want to learn. K. "A Primer on School Violence Prevention." Journal of School Health 64 (October 1994): 3 9-313.Collins, R. The attribution of this trend to illegal drugactivity, the breakdown of family structures, an unfair society, or evenfaulty data collection has little effect on public perceptions of theissue. 3 Trends in Juvenile Crime .................. [x]J. Phillips, "A Hedgehog Proposal," Crime and Delinquency 37(October 1991): 555. Neighborhoods with significantlevels of street gang activity become virtual hostages to the street gangs. [lvi]Walinsky, 47. Manyschools and communities have identified weapon-carrying among youth as asubstantial health, educational, and social problem.[xvii] Chapter 3 EXPLANATIONS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR: AN ANALYSIS Conflict Theory The conflict paradigm describes social life as a struggle amongcompeting individuals and groups. This approach would extend theintervention to the wider community by (1) establishing violence preventionas a long-term priority in school districts, (2) establishing structuresthat promote community, student, family, and teacher involvement, (3)establishing a consistent, developmentally and culturally sensitivecurriculum teaching conflict management and peer mediation from elementarythrough high school, and (4) integrating technological and environmentalcontrols into a comprehensive violence prevention effort.[lxiii] McKinney, by contrast with Coben, emphasized action by the classroomteacher to control disruptive student behaviors. R. [xi]Walinsky, 47. Lastly, one once could be assuredthat most juvenile criminal behavior occurred among the lower socioeconomicgroups in American society. The fact that the incidence of juvenile criminalactivity has dropped a few percentage points in the past two years doeslittle to change public perceptions of the issue, because the absolutelevels of juvenile criminal activity remain high compared to earlierperiods. Homicide has become the 1 th leading cause of death in theUnited States and the 6th leading cause of years of potential life lost.Among young people 15 to 24 years of age, homicide is the second leadingcause of death, surpassed only by unintentional injuries. Hochschild, "Ideology and Emotion Management: APerspective and Path for Future Research," in T. Anothertrend in youth crime is the use of children under the age of 12 to performcriminal acts for older teenagers. There exists a reasonably high terminationof criminal misconduct, and relatively little recruitment to such behavior,after about age 2 . "Ideology and Emotion Management: A Perspective and Path for Future Research." In Kemper, T. 21 Understanding Criminal Behavior ........... B., and Bernard, T. According to Collins,life can be "visualized as a long chain of interaction rituals, with peoplemoving from one encounter to another .... (Eds.). Criminologists have long associated the commission of crime with theopportunity for the commission of such acts. B. Further, guns facilitate decisions to engage inviolent behavior by providing a distances between perpetrators and targets. The problem in this context is thedetermination of which young offenders are and are not competent to be heldaccountable for their actions. The integration of individuals intotheir society results from forces which place them within the system andgovern their participation and patterned associations with others. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1985.Harrison, L. Harrison, "The Drug-Crime Nexus in the USA," ContemporaryDrug Problems (1992): 2 4. [xvii]R. Powell add a word of caution to school administrators and teacherswith respect to these programs, however, noting that little is known aboutthe effectiveness or manner of implementing programs and projects involvingpeer counseling and conflict resolution in secondary schools. Chicago: Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Illinois State University, 1998.Page, R. These meanings are to some extentcreated by the individual concerned, but primarily they are derived fromintimate personal interactions with other people.[xx] The Interactionist Paradigm The interactionist paradigm views "social life as a process ofinteractions among individuals."[xxi] Symbolic interactionism emphasizesconnections between shared meanings, or symbols, and actions andcommunications, or interactions. Further, the study purpose included theexamination of explanations for criminal behaviors by young people. For the greaterpart, such neighborhoods effectively become war zones. R. "Major corporations makeand sell records exhorting their listeners to brutalize Koreans, rob storeowners, rape women, kill the police. In effect, actors are integrated into society through the beliefsthey hold, the positions they occupy, and the groups to which they belong.In inner city ghettos, young persons often feel no identity with the largersociety which surrounds the neighborhood. When suchidentification is established, the essence of a conflict situation-theissue and the parties-has been defined. (Albany, New York: StateUniversity of New York Press, 1996), 122. "Majorcorporations make and sell records exhorting their listeners to brutalizeKoreans, rob store owners, rape women, kill the police. Not allof these factors are relevant to all offenders. Powell reported that both peer counseling,which they refer to as peer mediation, and conflict resolution programs arehigh on the list of interventions in secondary schools across the UnitedStates. Lasley, "Age, Social Context, and Street Gang Membership,"Youth and Society 23 (June 1992): 434. J. [xx]G. Chapter 2 TRENDS IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR Trends in Juvenile Crime & Violence Criminal anti-social behavior on the part of youth in the UnitedStates in the 199 s is shockingly high and increasing in frequency.Persons under the age of 18 years old are responsible for approximately 32percent of serious property crimes which are cleared by arrest and forapproximately 17 percent of violent crimes cleared by arrest. One once could depend on the pattern of violentcriminal activity wherein the great majority of such offenses werecommitted by males. those who give orders are in charge ofthe ... Such young offenders, thus, should beheld accountable for their actions. [xxvi]LaRossa & Reitzes, 149. The suggestion offered by Lantieri to attainthis end is to adopt the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) modelthat has been successfully implemented in parts of New York city. "Lack of School Safety Related to Youth Gang Activity on Campus." California Journal 24 (June 1993): 27-3 .Benson, M. Many of these young people have learned to kill without remorse, for a drug territory or for an insult, because of a look or a bump on the sidewalk, or just to do it.[xi] Proponents of this line of reasoning contend that inner city juvenileshave been exposed to "ceaseless media violence and incitement to everydepravity of act and spirit. Criminal behavior by young people represents a growing socialproblem.[iv] This behavior ranges from vandalism to property crimes and tocrimes of violence including murder. Almost all street gangmembers, however, become sensitized to violent and socially unacceptablebehaviors. For more than two decades, youngpersons living in the inner cities of the United States have ... [lvii]Walinsky, 47. [iv]M. Muir-McClain, and L. "The Drug-Crime Nexus in the USA." Contemporary Drug Problems (1992): 2 3-245.Hochschild, A. [xiii]Walinsky, 47. Adults, unless legally adjudged to be otherwise, are presumed topossess a competent understanding of the moral concepts of "right" and"wrong," as well as of the social constructs of the society in which theylive that dictate which behaviors are legally acceptable and whichbehaviors are legally unacceptable. Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom. Again, existing studies in theliterature both provide support, and find an absence of support for each ofthe several approaches. Masters, "The Energy of the Young in Groups," School andCollege (May 1988): 6 . [iii]Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1 , 1 3-1 5. http://www.141.218.7 .183/ sped6 3fall97/Boehmspaper.Html [lxiii]J. "The Energy of the Young in Groups." School and College (May 1988): 6 .McKinney, K. [ii]Bureau of Justice Statistics, Historical Criminal JusticeStatistics for the United States (Washington: U.S. "Gangsta Girls: Gang Membership Among Young Black Girls is Rising." Essence 25 (July 1994): 64-69.Babbie, E. R. Most girlslearn quickly, however, that commitment to the gang will deepen the longerthey stay in it. In the contemporary period, the concept of a juvenile justice systemis under attack, primarily because of two factors. This practice occurs because youngpersons under the age of 12 years old frequently are not subject to adultprosecution, and thus can act with relative impunity.[vi] In absolute numbers the teenage and young adult population aged 15 to24 years old actually declined in the United States from 1986 through 1995. [xlvi]Walinsky, 43. Juveniles known with some degree of certainty thatmany acts of anti-social behavior are not going to draw severe penaltieseven if they are caught. H. Among blackyouths in the inner cities, approximately 6 percent of them were born tosingle mothers, many of whom were drug-addicted. M., and Hammermeister, J. [lix]Wilson, 3 . D. 23 4 - POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS ....................... The results of the research performed indicate that secondary schoolsacross the United States are attempting to deal with the growing problem ofdisruptive behavior in classrooms through the implementation of a varietyof different intervention types. One school of thought holds that stiff penaltiesshould be levied against offenders, as a deterrent to both repetition ofthe behavior by the offenders, and as a deterrent to non-offenders. Masters contended that theenergy of the young has always been channeled into groups, and thatcontemporary gang activity is just an extension of that process.Contemporary street gangs, however, represent far more than just an outletfor the energy of the young. Structure of the Study Trends in criminal behavior, including violent behavior, by youngpeople in the United States are investigated in Chapter 2. J. 27 5 - SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................... Theoretical Criminology 4th ed. The interventionssuggested were as follows: (1) include course and behavior norms andexpectations for students in instructions; (2) discuss these norms andexpectations on the first day of class; (3) draw-up a contract on classroombehavior ask students to read and sign it the first week of class; and (4)be extra tough on all matters the first day and week of class to set thetone.[lxiv] More than one of the analysts reviewed suggested some for of peercounseling as a means of suppressing disruptive student behaviors insecondary school classrooms. In everyyear since, at least four million new guns have been manufactured orimported. S. Inthe short-term, many of the individuals who participate in street gangsfind the gang structure a positive experience. Walinsky, "The Crisis of Public Order." Atlantic Monthly 276(July 1995): 45. [lx]Wilson, 3 . More than one-half ofall serious offenses committed by juveniles were committed by approximatelyeight-percent of the juvenile population.[ii] Between 1985 and 1992, to illustrate the character of the problem, theproportion of persons arrested for the offense of murder who are under theage of 18 years old increased from approximately eight-percent toapproximately 15 percent. D. [lii]M. This code of honorappeals to many girls who have come from abusive or neglectfulfamilies.[xlii] For many girls, gang membership is primarily a social activity. Hard-core members, who make up about five-percent of allfemale gang members, adopt the defensive macho persona of their"homeboys."[xliii] To prove that they can "handle theirs" as well as anymale, they often participate in high-risk criminal activities, such asrobberies, car jackings, burglaries and shootings. Bernard, Theoretical Criminology 4th ed. That society is perceived asalien by many of these young persons, and gang membership provides a havenwhere they are accepted. West, "Nihilism in Black America," in C. This coming calamity hasbeen referred to as an "epidemic" of teenage crime.[l] Role of Substance Use Increasingly, attempts are being made to link criminal deviancy withincreased drug use in society. As an example,labeling theory would hold that persons, when a label is attached to them,tend to behave as they believe the labeler expects them to behave, when insituations when the labeler is in control.[xix] Social reaction theorists maintain, however, that it is not possibleto understand deviant behavior merely by studying people whose behavior isso labeled. Motion picture films frequently featurescores of killings in the space of two hours."[xii] Further, according tothis line of argument, the competitive nature of the film industry causesdirectors to depict killings in ever more brutal ways that are thenimitated by juveniles in real-life situations. 24 Other Solutions ........................... People, according to Collins, "are divided according to how muchthey give orders or take orders ... From 1965 to1985, the national homicide rate tracked almost exactly the proportion ofthe size of the population segment aged 18 to 24 years old. Explanations ofthe criminal behavior of young people in American society are examined andanalyzed in Chapter 3. Kaplan and B. 9 Interactionist Paradigm ................... witnessed violent death as an almost routine occurrence. About 12 percent of the population reportedowning one or more handguns. "Reducing Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom." (Fall 1997). First, since the mid-197 s, the incidence of criminal activity on the part of juveniles hasincreased dramatically. 5 3 - EXPLANATIONS: AN ANALYSIS ................. [vi]M. If thisargument has merit, it cannot be applied only to inner city juveniles, but,rather, would be applicable to all juveniles. Such youth have learned to live with constant fear. Motionpicture films frequently feature scores of killings in the space of twohours. Socialpressures and life conditions experienced may result in unique life styles,social roles, and interpersonal stresses. (Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1995), 311. Cohen, "Characterizing Criminal Careers,"Science 237 (28 August 1987): 989. E., Muir-McClain, L., and Halasyamani, L. In contemporary society, however,increases in the incidence of criminal behavior are occurring among everyounger age brackets. In particular, the argument is that such behavior can beunderstood only within the context of the reactions to such behavior byother people. Government Printing Office, 1998.Coben, J. [xxxix]R. "Symbolic Interactionism and Family Studies." In Boss, P. J. The violent crime arrest rate for all personsincreased from approximately 21 per 1 , population in 1985 toapproximately 29 per 1 , population in 1991-an increase of 38 percentover the period. Young persons have seen death and other outcomes of violence on the streets, in the schools, in homes, and in television motion picture depictions of life. Thus, if effective correctiveactions are not implemented, one may expect the early years of the twenty-first century to be marked by increasing levels of youth violence. "The Crisis of Public Order." Atlantic Monthly 276 (July 1995): 39-49.West, C. H., Weiss, H. I. Boss, W. Race Matters. B. In 1993 there were 5.1 million guns manufactured and another 2.9million imported. Boston: Beacon Press, 1993, 9-12.White, H. [xxxviii]C. The problem,however, is neither unprecedented nor intractable. D. [xvi]West, 12. Criminal behavior existed prior to increasing druguse, however, and there is little reason to really expect criminal deviancyto disappear if the drug problem is suddenly controlled. K. Taylor, "Can Buy Me Love," Harpers (July 199 ): 34. Wilson, "What to Do About Crime," Commentary 98 (September1994): 25. "A Review of Selected School-Based Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Projects." Journal of School Health 65 (December 1995): 426-431.Taylor, L. G., Doherty, W. Method The data required for the conduct of this study were secondary incharacter and were obtained from published sources accessible in mostacademic libraries. Page and J. 1 Criminal Motivation and Opportunity ....... Theyspend most of their time skipping school, getting high, gossiping,listening to music, and flirting with male gang members. Causal Attributions of Criminal Behaviors By Juveniles Crime, especially violent criminal behavior, by teenagers is a majorsocial and criminal justice problem in the contemporary United States.[ix]In the face of numerous initiatives from all levels of government, however,criminal and violent behavior has continued to increase in frequency. The key argument of symbolic interactionism is that humanactions are understood best in terms of the meaning that those actions havefor the actors, rather than in terms of pre-existing biological,psychological, or social conditions. R. The number of young adults as a proportion ofthe population declined, but the overall homicide rate went up, becauseamong this smaller group the homicide rate increased by 65 percent in justeight years. Further, the competitive nature of the film industry causesdirectors to show killing methods ever more horrific, and many of thesemethods are quickly imitated on the street. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1995.Lantieri, L. Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methods: A Contextual Approach. "Lack of School Safety Related to Youth GangActivity on Campus," California Journal 24 (June 1993): 27. [lxii]A. [xxxv]J. C. Further, the high correlation between drug use and criminalbehavior exists because white collar crime and corporate crime are all toooften excluded from the definition of criminal behavior.[li] Defining crime is in itself important in the determination of whatconstitutes criminal deviance in society, and in the development ofstrategies to reduce the frequency of criminal deviance. [xxviii]Hochschild, 122. Three Sociological Traditions. [xlvii]Walinsky, 44. Collins, Three Sociological Traditions (Oxford, England:Oxford University Press, 1985), 58. In theinstance of serious crime committed by young offenders, the types of crimesand the characteristics of the individuals committing the offenses arelargely known. 2 Structure of the Study .................... While the shift in this dictumeither has not been noticed by the general citizenry or the generalcitizenry is in a state of denial, the incidence of criminal behavior amongwhite juveniles is increasing rapidly. Predictions are that, as a result of thisincrease, the number of homicides in the United States may rise to 35, or 4 , per year, with other violent offenses rising proportionally.This potential violent outcome has been referred to as an "epidemic" ofjuvenile crime.[viii] The 18-to-24 years old population segment isprojected to increase in both absolute number and as a proportion of thetotal population over the next decade. For such individuals, the effects ofstreet gang participation lingers into later life, as they continue to liveon the fringes of acceptable society.[xxxviii] It is all too easy and simple minded to state that contemporary streetgangs coalesced around the illegal drug trade. These girls, who are called toss-ups,often earn their reputations by sexually servicing male gang members.Others gang girls turn to drugs and support their habit by prostituting fortheir supplier-often a "homeboy."[xlv] These girls tend to live a life ofrage. First, the downward trends typicallyare based on percentage reductions that, when translated into absolutenumbers, reflect little change in the actual frequency of criminal behaviorby youth. Thus, a competent adult is presumed tobe accountable for her or his actions. In the country's inner cities, of allthe black children who reached physical maturity in 198 , 75 percent hadbeen born to a married mother and father. Endnotes bibliographyAbner, A. Within a social group, individualsdevelop both their own self-concept and individual identity through socialinteractions within the group structure. (Belmont,California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1998), 64. Conflict is simply a disagreementbetween two or more parties over some issue, objective, or behavior. R. Second, juveniles have become involved increasingly in violentcriminal activities. [xxxiv]A. Crack arrived on the sametimetable, and unloaded at the same station."[xlix] By 2 5, the population aged 14 to 17 years old will have increased by23 percent. By 1976, with the great postwar crime waveunder way, more than 21 percent of the population reported owning handguns-an increase of 75 percent. According tothis line of reasoning, many teenagers in the United States appear toperceive adolescence as a "separate society that is not governed by thenorms applicable to the broader society. After the teenage years,age appears to be monotonically negatively related to the propensity toengage in criminal behaviors. Minority population groups on thewhole believe that society and the criminal justice system within societyis biased against them.[v] The high level of teenage violence found inmany minority neighborhoods is likely related to this perception. Vold and T. [xxix]Hochschild, 123. 19 Role of Desensitization ................... D. The number of young adults as a proportion of thepopulation declined after 1985; however, the overall homicide rateincreased, because among this smaller group of juveniles the homicide rateincreased by 65 percent between 1985 and 1993. West bases his argument on thediscrimination to which African American and other minority-group juvenilesare subjected. (Eds.). Approximately seven-percent of all juvenile delinquencyreferrals to juvenile courts involved violent crime. Factors such as age and developmental progress, however, dictateagainst an automatic presumption that a young person is competent to beaccountable for her or his actions. M. White, S. Left to cope alone, these girls turn to thegangs for a support network.[xl] Most girls become involved in gangs through their relationships withfriends, boyfriends, or family members who are members. Understanding and Addressing Violent Criminal Behavior Most of the theoretical studies devoted to the discovery of ways toreduce levels of criminal behavior emphasize one of two general ways toattack the problem. Second, the character of the reports by government agencies oftrends in criminal behavior by young people tends to shift, depending moreupon whether the government is seeking reelection (downward trendreporting) or increased funding (upward trend reporting) than upon what mayactually be occurring in the neighborhoods and on the streets of thecountry. B., Mulvey, E. Boehms, "Reducing Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom."(Fall 1997). 13 Role of Adolescence ....................... Criminal behavior existed priorto increasing drug use, however, and there is little reason to reallyexpect criminal deviancy to disappear if the drug problem is suddenlycontrolled. 24 School-Based Solutions .................... Powell didnote, however, that preliminary date indicates that such program have thepotential to be successful. This characteristic of guns is especially relevant to women who engage inviolent behavior because women frequently are not as physically strong asare their targets. B. [lxi]L. 9 Labeling Theory ........................... Further, the highcorrelation between drug use and criminal behavior exists because whitecollar crime and corporate crime are all too often excluded from thedefinition of criminal behavior. For these adolescents, culturalstructures and strictures associated with family and community appear tohave little meaning."[xv] Cornel West attributes the loss of moralauthority of family and community to a nihilism stemming from "the murkywaters of despair and dread that now flood the streets of blackAmerica."[xvi] Without denying the validity of West's conclusion, carenevertheless must be exercised when identifying the roots of familydysfunctionality and teenage violence, because neither of these socialphenomena are restricted to the African American component of thepopulation of the United States, nor is the Anglo majority in thepopulation free of these social phenomena. Steinmetz, (Eds.), Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methods: AContextual Approach (New York: Plenum Press, 1993, 145. Kemper, (Ed.), ResearchAgendas in the Sociology of Emotions 2nd ed. B. [vii]Bureau of Justice Statistics, 112. A qualitative approach characterized the analysis ofthe data collected. In the 196 s weapons used primarily forsport-rifles and shotguns-made up 8 percent of the approximately 8 million guns in private hands. The largest increases were among nonwhites (by99 percent), college graduates (by 147 percent). Weapons generally, and firearms in particular, are widely available inthe United States and appear to be at the core of youth violence. Theobjective of the investigation and examination was the development ofrecommendations for the solution of the problem of youth criminal behaviorin the United States. DiRosa, "Gangs," FBI Law EnforcementBulletin 63 (May 1994): 1. L., and Moore, E. The decision, thus, must be made by a competent judge. Many of these young people have come to believe that they will not live to be 25 years old. In the motion pictures, some brave marshal, after aboutan hour-and-a-half, rescues the town, and dispatches the bad guys. [xxvii]A. Brick, "Alcohol and AggressionAmong Youth," Alcohol Health and Research World 17 (Spring 1993): 144. Blumstein and J. Chapter 5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Implementing effective prevention strategies requires recognizing thatthe criminal-justice response is not enough to reduce violence levels.Rather, prevention requires comprehensive problem-solving strategies thatinvolve criminal justice agencies; schools; and public health, emergencymedical, and social service agencies. 2 Role of Guns .............................. Gangs in America. Powell, "Correlates of Violent and Nonviolent Behavior AmongVulnerable Inner-City Youths," Family and Community Health 2 (July 1997):38. Identity refers to "self-meaningsin a role."[xxii] Roles are "shared norms applied by occupants of socialpositions."[xxiii] Meaning, thus, "arises in the process of interactionbetween people."[xxiv] Meanings are "modified through an interpretiveprocess used by the person with things he or she encounters."[xxv] Theinterpretive process relies on the use of symbols. C., and DiRosa, A. The experience since 1985 hasbeen the product of "a conjunction of two terrible arrivals. R., and Steinmetz, S. Thismodel, according to the Lantieri, works by stressing student empowermentand early conflict resolution.[lxi] Other research, however, suggests thatplacing students in authority to control violence in secondary schools isineffective. Symbolic interactionists hold that human action cannot be understoodapart from the subjective interpretations assigned to situations by theindividuals involved in those situations. [xviii]E. [xxiv]LaRossa & Reitzes, 143. Moore, "Are White-Collar and Common Offendersthe Same?" Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 29 (August 1992):251. [xxiii]LaRossa & Reitzes, 147. [xix]H. ngs are recruiting more young women. From 1965 to 1985, the national homicide rate changed almostexactly in proportion to the change in the size of the 18-to-24 year oldpopulation segment. Reitzes, "Symbolic Interactionism andFamily Studies," in P. "Characterizing Criminal Careers." Science 237 (28 August 1987): 985-991.Boehms, A. If one personsees another act with relative impunity in the context of corporate crime,white collar crime, or alcohol-related driving offenses, that person maywell be tempted to commit their own form of criminal deviancy, and theirchoices to commit some criminal behavior of their own choosing may be moreunderstandable in this context.[lii] Criminal activity and a deterioration of personality and lifestyle areantisocial behaviors frequently associated with substance addiction. "Can Buy Me Love." Harpers (July 199 ): 32-39.Vold, G. B. These subjective interpretationsare derived from the definition of the situation from the perspective of anindividual who is a part of the situation. R. Prison does not frighten them.Rather, prison frequently is viewed as a rite of passage that a majority oftheir peers may have experienced. The current estimate is that more than 2 million guns are inprivate hands.[lvii] Twenty states allow any citizen without a felony conviction to carry agun concealed on his or her person, and an additional 14 states areactively considering such laws. Increasing criminalactivity and an increase violent behavior-both individual and group-characterization a major part of the social deterioration in which gangactivity thrives.[xxxv] Typical gang activities may involve a variety of criminal and otherantisocial behaviors. [xiv]L. Whilesubstance use is associated with aggressive behavior among males, a similarrelationship has not been found among females.[liii] Role of Desensitization For more than two decades, the children in the nation's inner citieshave witnessed violent death as an almost routine occurrence. In the 199 s, however, such behaviorincreasingly is occurring among the higher socioeconomic groups. "A Hedgehog Proposal." Crime and Delinquency 37 (October 1991): 555-574.Powell, K. [xxxii]Collins, 171. It should be obvious to most concerned and aware observers that somesubstantial changes in the nation's juvenile justice system are required.If responsible substantive changes are not offered by knowledgeablecriminologists, social psychologists, and the juvenile judiciary, somewhatless desirable changes likely will be imposed by politicians through thelegislative process or by the general citizenry through initiative andreferendum processes. Hammermeister, "Weapon-Carrying and YouthViolence," Adolescence 32 (Fall 1997): 51 3. Q. Various outcomes are possible,depending on how each person's cultural capital matches up with the otherperson's cultural capital."[xxxii] Criminal Motivation and Opportunity Criminologists have long associated the commission of crime with theopportunity for the commission of such acts. Aconflict, thus, is a dispute. (NewYork: Oxford University Press, 1993), 116. They have lived with constant fear. R. P. 1 Method .................................... Ashamed and guilt-ridden, eliteopinion often encourages even hoodlums to carry a sense of entitlement andgrievance against society and its institutions."[xiii] Such experiencesdesensitize youth, according this line of argument, and, in turn,desensitization causes violent behavior to become more acceptable. rituals."[xxx] At the opposite end of the continuum, the "peoplewho only take orders ... Those offenders who are stillactively involved in crime at age 3 have survived the more typical earlytermination of criminal careers, and so are more likely to be the morepersistent offenders.[xxxiv] Role of Gangs Street gang activity most certainly has adverse effects on the broadersociety, neighborhoods, and families. [xv]C. First, there are those theories which hold that theunderlying causes of anti-social behaviors (poverty, injustices-perceivedor real, and so forth) must be addressed, if the frequency of anti-socialbehaviors is to be reduced by any significant degree. Violence is a pervasive national problem, more serious in the UnitedStates than in the rest of the industrialized world, and especially seriousfor males who belong to demographic and ethnic minorities. Street gangs are social groups.[xxxvi] The effects on individuals who participate in street gang activitymust be considered in terms of both short-term and long-term effects. "Television commercials teachthat a young man requires a new pair of $12 sneakers each week. Violence is an outgrowth of conflict whenpeaceful dispute mechanisms fail. [xxxiii]Barlow, 23 . D. Public perceptions are important. [xxii]R. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to investigate trends in criminalbehavior generally and violent behavior specifically committed by youngpeople in American society. Furthermore, thehomicide rate among young males in the United States is roughly 2 timeshigher than homicide rates in most other industrialized nations.[i] While the outcomes of violent behavior are the most dramatic, they arefar from being the only adverse outcomes of criminal behaviors by youngpeople in the United States in the contemporary period. Chapter 4 POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS School-Based Approaches Lantieri contends that violence in secondary schools can be bothcontrolled and prevented. [xliii]Abner, 66. One once could be safe inassuming that the highest incidence of juvenile criminal behavior would befound among ethnic and racial minorities. [liii]H. "Correlates of Violent and Nonviolent Behavior Among Vulnerable Inner-City Youths." Family and Community Health 2 (July 1997): 38-47.Powell, K. Because gangs areso prevalent in some areas, many girls join to avoid harassment from gangmembers. Predictions are that, as a result of this increase, the numberof homicides in the United States may rise to 35, or 4 , a year, withother violent offenses rising proportionally. "Waging Peace in Our Schools: Beginning with the Children." Phi Delta Kappan 76 (January 1995): 386-388.LaRossa, R., and Reitzes, D. Another factor to which increased crime and violence by juveniles isattributed is the drug culture in the United States. Research Agendas in the Sociology of Emotions 2nd ed. Role of Adolescence The children born in 1965 reached 15 years of age in 198 , and in 198 and 1981, new records for criminal violence in the United States werereached, as teenage and young adults ripped at the fabric of life in theinner cities of the United States. [xlviii]Walinsky, 44. The totalof such gun felonies reported to the police was about 571, .[lvi] As long as surveys have asked the question, about half of all Americanhouseholds have answered that they own at least one gun. Thus, this researcher proposes that the mosteffective solution to the problem of criminal and violent behavior byjuveniles is either to scrap or to radically revise the juvenile justicesystem in the United States. There is evidence, however, that criminal offenderswho remain in their criminal careers into their 3 s likely will continuesuch behavior into their later years. One oncecould rely on the 15-to-25 year old age bracket as the source of thehighest incidence of criminal behavior. Dearwater, "APrimer on School Violence Prevention," Journal of School Health 64 (October1994): 3 9. [xlii]Abner, 68. The proportion of such crimes attributable to femalesin contemporary society, however, is escalating. The gang accepts them,where that case may not have prevailed in their own family. 38 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem America today is experiencing a major epidemic of death and traumafrom violence. In absolute numbers the teenage and young adult population aged 15 to24 years old stagnated or actually declined from 1986 through 1995. [lv]Walinsky, 47. S. The thrust of thesetheories is that, by eliminating the underlying causes of anti-socialbehaviors, the behaviors themselves will either be eliminated or theirfrequencies of occurrence will be significantly reduced.[lix] The second broad group of theoretical studies emphasizes therelationship between the control of social behaviors and reductions in thefrequency of occurrence of anti-social behaviors. Social relationships aswell as social perceptions affect the propensity of an individual to engagein violent criminal behavior. Washington: U.S. An automatic determination simply on thebasis of the age of a young offender is as unfair to society as the earlierapproach of treating all young offenders as adults was to many youngoffenders. B. A majorreason that an ever growing proportion of the population appears to befinding criminal behavior an acceptable alternative to non criminalbehavior is the continuing socialization of criminal deviancy. In LosAngeles, females comprise approximately 15 percent of the gang population.As with their male counterparts, girls who join gangs usually suffer fromalienation and family abuse. Rather, Boehms suggests giving students the information theyneed in order to be successful in a classroom setting, which, it iscontended, can be an effective tool for reducing disruptive behavior;thereby placing some of the emphasis back on the teacher.[lxii] Coben recommended a much broader approach to suppressing disruptivebehaviors in secondary schools. Those students, however, are notbeing educated anyway, and the public is deceiving itself if it believesotherwise. G. Two advantages would flow from this strategy. 34 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................... R. Unfortunately, too many partiescontinue to rely on dicta, the validity of which is eroding. They haveseen it on their streets, in their schools, in their families, and ontelevision. Abner, "Gangsta Girls: Gang Membership Among Young Black Girlsis Rising," Essence 25 (July 1994): 66. Consequently the importance ofpeers in supplying sources of support and knowledge in social life ismagnified. 1, 5TH ed. Socialvalues, group memberships, and social roles, as indicated by the review ofliterature, are conceived as the axes providing the ties that structuresocial interaction, place the person in society, and order relations withothers. B. [xliv]Abner, 66. One reason for this developmentamong juveniles in the United States appears to be the juvenile justicesystem in this country. Doherty, R. Violent criminal behavior involving teenagers typically ischaracterized by a teenage perpetrator and a teenage victim. Coben, H. Such neighborhoods may, to a great extent, be compared to thestereotypical frontier community portrayed in low-budget western motionpictures, in which an outlaw gang effectively dictates the behavioral normsof the community. I., and Sadock, B. One of 14 of these youthswill have been raised with neither parent at home; "unprecedented numberswill have been subjected to beatings and other abuse; and most will havegrown up amid the utter chaos pervading black city neighborhoods."[xlvii]Thus, regardless of what actions are taken over the next year or two, thenation has "already assured the creation of more very violent young menthan any reasonable society can tolerate, and their numbers will growinexorably for every one of the next twenty years."[xlviii] (Walinsky,1995, p. Brantley and A. More than anything else, these gangs providea place to belong for groups of young people who are disaffected from theirsociety and from their families.[xxxix] Young persons who join street gangs are also frequently alienated fromsociety's political establishment. [xxi]Babbie, 62. [xli]Abner, 66. Criminal violenceparticularly associated with young men and boys reached new peaks ofdestruction in the nation's inner cities in 199 and 1991.[xlvi] In the year 2 , the youths born in 1985 will turn 15. McKinney, Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom(Chicago: Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Illinois StateUniversity, 1998), 47. Thereare, however, few such brave and effective marshal-type heroes for urbanneighborhoods plagued by extensive street gang activity. Over the coming few years, however, thispopulation segment is going to increase in size dramatically. 3 Causal Attributions ....................... 2 2 - TRENDS IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ............... [xxxi]Collins, 158-159. At the same time, to lay the groundwork for the next generationof approaches to violence prevention, research should be carried out toimprove the measurement of violence, to study certain topics neglected inrecent years, and to learn more about what causes a small proportion of allchildren to commit violent acts as adults. Many of these youth also have been taught by older relatives and friends that only the strong and the ruthless survive. LaRossa and D. If these shifting patterns are not recognized andaddressed, changes to the juvenile criminal justice system likely willcause as many problems as they solve. The Practice of Social Research 7TH ed. Girls who want tomake money, however, also may use gang ties to deal drugs. P., and Dearwater, S. One important type of ritual within this conception is the powerritual. Until consensus emerges on the issuessurrounding the use of peer counseling and conflict resolution in secondaryschools, however, Powell recommended that secondary schools carefullyassess the implementation and probable impact of such actions.[lxv] Other Approaches West is among a relatively large group of observers of Americansociety who contend that social inequities in American society must beeliminated before any meaningful change may be expected in the frequency ofcriminal and violent behavior by juveniles. "Are White-Collar and Common Offenders the Same?" Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 29 (August 1992): 251-272.Blumstein, A., and Cohen, J. Hansell, and J. [v]M. [l]Walinsky, 45. LaRossa, W. L., LaRossa, R., Schumm, W. There is evidence thatmany people own and carry handguns without permits. Whilegreat individual variation exists, many people find it increasinglydifficult to maintain friendships, neighborhood ties, family relationships,and the like under the changing conditions of their lives. Many ofthese children have been taught by older brothers, friends, and uncles thatonly the strong and the ruthless survive. Guns were also used in 42.4percent of all robberies and 25.1 percent of aggravated assaults. In 1993, 69.6 percent of all homicides were committedby gun-8 percent of these crimes by handgun. Huff, Gangs in America (Newbury Park, California: SagePublications, 199 ), 91. [xxx]R. [lxv]K. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1998.Barlow, H. [xl]A. Violent criminal behavior in absolute terms attributable to persons inthis age bracket continued to increase, however, because the per capitafrequency of violent behavior for this population group increaseddramatically. What is more significant about the functioning ofstreet gangs, however, is that the socialization process of street gangs isvery much in line with the group dynamics of other societal groups. Weiss, E. r. 1, 5TH ed. 1 Purpose of the Study ...................... Schumm,and S. In the 199 s, however, thereis a stronger tendency on the part of an ever greater proportion of thepopulation to engage in any activity, criminal or not, that provides themwith some degree of pleasure-when the opportunity presents itself. B. [xxxvii]Taylor, 38. Patterns ofownership, however, have changed. Babbie, The Practice of Social Research 7TH ed. 12 Role of Gangs ............................. Thus, whether ornot this solution is theoretically valid is immaterial, as it is not likelyto come to fruition in time to matter. R. "Weapon-Carrying and Youth Violence." Adolescence 32 (Fall 1997): 5 5-513.Phillips, M. West, Race Matters(Boston: Beacon Press, 1993), 1 . At the same time, however, the violent crime arrest ratefor persons aged 1 -to-17 years old increased from approximately 3 5 per1 , population in 1985 to approximately 465 per 1 , population in1991-an increase of 52 percent over the period and an increase that statedfrom a higher base level.[iii] By any reckoning, the youth violent crimeproblem is serious and growing worse. One promising strategy appears to be theuse of peer mentoring; however, this strategy has not been sufficientlytested to be able to know whether it will work over the long-term in avariety of communities within which secondary schools are located. Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry V, Vol. These girls often speakof earning the "respect" of their "homies" as an achievement that justifiestheir reckless conduct.[xliv] Some girls, especially those who have been sexually abused, alsoengage in high-risk sexual behavior. 17 Role of Substance Abuse ................... L. By 1978 the estimate oftotal number of guns owned had increased to roughly 12 million. This argument is appealing and likely istheoretically valid. "Explaining Crimes and Analogous Acts, or the Unrestrained Will Grab at Pleasure Whenever They Can." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 82 (1991): 229-242.Barber, M. Ashamed and guilt-ridden, elite opinion often encourages even hoodlums to carry a sense ofentitlement and grievance against society and its institutions."[lv] Role of Guns It is a commonplace that many crimes are committed with guns,especially handguns. [lxiv]K. "What to Do About Crime." Commentary 98 (September 1994): 25- 34.----------------------- [i]K. Among those aged 14 to 17 years old, the next group of youngadults, the homicide rate more than doubled. The shifting patterns of juvenile delinquency in the United Statesmust be recognized and addressed in any substantive changes to the nation'sjuvenile justice system. (Ed.). Of the eight million new guns in 1993, 3.9 million werehandguns. Within this group ofstudies, there are included a wide variety of approaches put forward asmeans of controlling social behaviors-running the gamut from to use ofpunishment and sentencing procedures as a deterrent to the commission ofanti-social behaviors, to the use of community involvement as a means ofreducing the frequencies of anti-social behaviors.[lx] Existing studies in the literature both provide support for eachapproach, and find an absence of support for each of the approaches.Further, within the general area of the control of social behaviors, theseveral different approaches to such control which have been advancedcannot be divorced from one another. "Gangs." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 63 (May 1994): 1-6.Bureau of Justice Statistics. Most certainly, drug use and criminalbehavior frequently accompany one another. In some of the states where the laws havepassed, about two-percent (Oregon and Florida) or three-percent(Pennsylvania)of the state's population have applied for and received apermit to carry a concealed handgun at all times. L. Among those aged 15-to-17years old, the homicide rate more than doubled.[vii] By 2 5, the population aged 15-to-17 years old will have increased by23 percent from 1995 levels. [xii]Walinsky, 47. Powell, L. [xlix]Walinsky, 45. Increasingly,attempts are being made to link criminal deviancy with increased drug usein society.[xiv] Most certainly, drug use and criminal behavior frequentlyaccompany one another. In 1985, thetwo curves diverged sharply. B. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.