Juvenile Delinquency Theory to Practice

by McNamara, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780190078744
• ISBN10: 019007874X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780190078836
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2020-11-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

Focusing on today's students, this comprehensive juvenile delinquency text debunks myths, engages students to learn key theories, and provides compelling applications that students will find relevant and useful.

Preface:

The study of juvenile delinquency has a long and fascinating history. From the early days of treating juveniles like miniature adults to the Child Savers Movement, where advocates attempted to address issues stemming from the neglect and abuse of children. In the 1980s, the rise of violent juvenile gangs became a part of the larger narrative on delinquency, in part due to the discovery of crack cocaine and the turf battles that emerged over the distribution of the drug. In the 1990s, concerns about the violence and an increase in dangerous delinquents led to the prediction of a super predator of delinquent. Concerns about this group, along with the perception that the juvenile justice system was inadequate in addressing violent offenders, resulted in greater use of juvenile waivers, where the youthful offender is waived from juvenile court jurisdiction to adult court.

Despite these concerns and perceptions about the dangerousness of juvenile offenders, in recent years, there has been a considerable decline in delinquency arrests along with decreases in the use of detention/incarceration in the past two decades. Generally speaking, the juvenile justice system has done an adequate job of diverting offenders before they become a part of the system and rehabilitating them when they become involved in it. However, it is important that we not to lose sight of how significant social issues shape our understanding of crime and delinquency.

For instance, as the United States and other countries grapple with the enormous impact of COVID-19, including stay-at-home orders, the closing of schools, massive unemployment for millions of workers, and numerous risks for patients and health care workers, there are implications for juvenile offenders. While we are continuing to learn more about the COVID-19 disease, one of the more troubling trends is the high percentage of minorities who are affected by it.

As troubling as a pandemic is for this country, in 2020 we have also seen a number of high-profile cases in which an African American was killed by a police officer or while they were in police custody. This trend is certainly not a new one-the disproportionality of African Americans in the justice system has a long and storied past. The social and political backlash to the recent events involving George Floyd's death have resulted in peaceful protests by citizens wanting meaningful change, violent demonstrations and looting by others, as well as demonstrators dismantling many statues of historical figures due to their involvement in or support of the slave trade. These protests, along with some political leaders stoking the fires of division, have damaged the social fabric of the United States. At the base of the protests and debates, such as whether Black Lives Matter or All Lives Matter, or whether or not to defund police departments, have, at their root, a history of exploitation of African Americans in the criminal justice system.

The fascinating thing about the disproportionality of African Americans (and Hispanics/Latinos) in the system is that they are not confined to adults; the juvenile justice system struggles with the same type of disproportionality as its adult counterpart. Perhaps the most intriguing dimension of these findings is that there is little debate about them-unlike most social issues, when it comes to the challenges minorities face in the justice system, there are few if any debates about whether such a trend exists. The controversy stems from why these trends are occurring, but no one disputes whether the trends are real ones-in either the adult or the juvenile justice system.

For our purposes, these protests, debates, and controversies are extraordinary reminders that the study of delinquency does not exist in a vacuum and that large scale social issues can dramatically influence our understanding of why youth commit criminal offenses. In the following pages, we attempt to balance the discussion of delinquency with a theoretical understanding and data typically found in sociological research, along with data and research on how to apply this information in a practical way. This juxtaposition of sociology and criminal justice is rather unique but it results in a more seamless and comprehensive understanding of delinquency.

As someone trained in both sociology and in criminal justice, my hope is that such a collaboration helps students, faculty, policymakers, and the general public, to grasp the complexity involved in understanding and addressing delinquency. To accomplish this goal, throughout the textbook I attempt to provide examples of how to apply theory to reality, mini-research projects designed to help students understand delinquency in their local communities, as well as putting readers in real-life scenarios where they must consider the many factors involved in making a difficult decision and then decide how to proceed. Additionally, to address the frustration many students (and faculty) sometimes experience with the multitude of programs to reduce or prevent delinquency, where it is easy to think that “nothing works,” I include examples of programs that are in fact effective. Of course, while I have done my best to provide the most up to date and accurate information about a variety of topics related to delinquency, any mistakes, omissions, or oversights, are mine to bear.

Features Used in this Text:

Chapter Scenarios: these are real life situations in which readers are presented with a case that unfolds throughout the chapter. In the context of learning the concepts and theories, students learn how these apply to the scenario.

Video Interviews: interviews with convicted juvenile offenders are integrated into the text via URL links as well as excerpts into sections of the chapter. This is a defining feature of the book since it provides customized illustrations of the concepts and theories identified in each chapter.

Make the Call: this exercise puts the reader in a role (e.g. juvenile court judge, police officer, social worker) and presented with a situation in which they have to render a decision. The factors that are relevant and important are considered with questions they must address before their decision is made.

Apply Theory to Reality: this exercise provides students with the opportunity to begin learning how to apply delinquency theories to particular situations. The student must summarize the theory, apply it to the given set of circumstances and offer insight into how the theory extends the understanding of the particular crime.

What Works?: These are examples of programs to address or prevent delinquency that have been empirically evaluated for effectiveness.

Your Community: this feature has students exploring programs and issues in their local community. The task involves them conducting mini-research projects, where they interview and observe program directors, staff, and customers in an effort to learn more about the problem locally. Examples include runaway shelters, domestic violence diversion programs, gang prevention programs, or even police departments.

RHM

Author Biography

Robert McNamara is Professor of Criminal Justice at the Citadel. He is the author or coauthor of thirty books, including Multiculturalism, Crime, and the Criminal Justice System, Second Edition (OUP, 2020). Dr. McNamara has served as a senior research fellow for the National Strategy Information Center, the Policy Lab, the Police Executive Research Forum, in Washington, DC, and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Baltimore, Maryland.

Table of Contents

Preface

1. The Nature of Delinquency
Public Perceptions of Adolescents and Delinquents
Public Perceptions of Crime and Delinquency
Policymakers' Perceptions of Crime and Delinquency
Changes in Juvenile Justice Policy
Media's Images of Delinquents
The Nature of Adolescence
Cultural Differences of Youths
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y/Millenials
Societal Problems and Youths
Poverty
Unemployment
Housing
Education
Risk and Protective Factors
Definitions of Juvenile Delinquency
History of Juvenile Delinquency in the United States
Nineteenth-Century United States
Delinquency in the Twentieth-Century
Delinquency in the 1960s-1970s
Delinquency in the 1980s-1990s
Difference between Juvenile Court and Adult Court
Delinquency and Public Policy

2. Measuring Delinquency
Measuring Crime and Delinquency
Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
Limitations of the UCR
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
Victimization Studies
Limitations of NCVS
Victimization Surveys and the UCR
Measuring Crime: Self-Report Studies
General Trends in Delinquency
Official Statistics
Delinquent Trends: Self-Report Studies
Correlates to Delinquency
Gender
Race
Social Class
Age
Onset
Chronic Offending
Victimization and Delinquency
Victimization Risk
The Youngest Victims
Measuring Delinquency and Public Policy

3. Status Offending
A Brief History
The Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)
Amendments to the JJDPA
Status Offenders versus Delinquents
The Changing Nature of Status Offending
Runaways
Definition
Profiles
Programs for Runaway Youths
Truancy
Causes
School Configuration
Academic Performance
Family Involvement
Neighborhood and Community Factors
Incorrigibility
Historical Roots
Incorrigibility and the Juvenile Justice System
Curfew Violations
Proponents and Opponents of Curfews
The Legality of Curfews
Underage Drinking
Underage Smoking
Extent
Effects of Smoking
Reasons Teenagers Smoke
Media Campaign and Teenage Smoking
Status Offenders and Public Policy

4. Social Structural Theories of Delinquency
Social Structural Influences
Poverty
Deindustrialization and the Economy
The Housing Crunch
Public Education
The Origins of Social Structural Theories of Delinquency
Emile Durkheim
Contemporary Applications
Social Disorganization Theory
Concentric Zones
Disorganization and Delinquency
Breakdown in Control
Reasons for Delinquency
The Social Ecology of Delinquency
Walter Miller's Lower Class Culture Theory
Strain and Anomie Theories
Robert Merton's Strain Theory
Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory
Differential Opportunity
Subcultural Theories of Delinquency
Albert Cohen's Theory
Subculture of Violence
Social Structural Theories and Public Policy

5. Social Process Theories of Delinquency
Learning Theories and Delinquency
Social Learning Theory
Edwin Sutherland's Differential Association Theory
Sykes and Matza's Neutralization Theory
Drift Theory
Ronald Aker's Social Learning Theory
Social Control Theory
Albert J. Reiss's Personality and Control Theory
Walter Reckless's Containment Theory
Travis Hirschi's Bonding Theory
Gottfredson and Hirschi's General Theory of Crime
Labeling Theory
Application of Labels
The Labeling Process
Consequences of Labeling
Social Conflict Theories
Marx and Engel's Conflict Theory
Modern Conflict Theory
Social Process Theories and Public Policy

6. Individual Views of Delinquency
Rational Choice and Delinquency
Classical Criminology
Deterrence
Positivist Theories
Biochemical Factors
Neurological Issues
Genetic Influences
Intelligence and Delinquency
Psychological Theories
Psychodynamic Theory
Behavioral Theory
Cognitive Theory
Violence and the Media
Cognitive Skills of Youths
Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
Developmental Psychology
Psychological Disorders
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Conduct Disorders
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Psychopathy
Individual Theories and Public Policy

7. Family and Delinquency
Good Parenting
Clarity
Consistency
Flexibility
Love
Resiliency
Family Structure
External Structural Changes to Families
Cohabitation and Childbearing
Divorce
Women in the Workforce
The Changing Role of Fathers
Internal Family Dynamics
Birth Order
Family Size
Family Violence
Discipline
Spanking
Verbal Assault
Neglect and Abuse
Types of Neglect
Reasons for Neglect
Child Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Child Protective Services
Intake
Initial Assessment or Investigation
Family Assessment
Case Planning
Provision of Services
Ongoing Assessment
Case Closure
Foster Care
Families, Delinquency, and Public Policy

8. Gangs and Delinquency
Definition of Gangs
Gang Databases and Identifying Gang Members
Reasons for Joining
Media Distortion
Origins of Gangs
Extent and Types of Gangs
Black Gangs
The Crips
The Bloods
Hispanic/Latino Gangs
People Nation vs. Folk Nation
The Latin Kings
MS-13
Asian Gangs
Chinese Gangs
Japanese Yakuza
Vietnamese Gangs
White Gangs
Stoner Gangs
Skinheads
Female Gangs
Gang Structure
Organization
Leadership
Turf
Social Solidarity
Purpose
The Changing Nature of Gangs
Gang Behavior
Drugs
Violence
Community Responses to Gangs and Public Policy

9. Special Populations and Delinquency
Sexual Activity
Juvenile Sex Offenders
Juvenile Prostitution
International Trafficking of Children
Mental Illness
Fire Starters
Domestic Violence
Chronic Offenders
Violent Offenders
Computer Hackers
Public Policy for Special Populations

10. Schools and Delinquency
Structure of Public Education
Social Class
Tracking
No Child Left Behind
Problems in Schools
Dropouts
Academic Achievement
School Crime
Bullying and Intimidation
School Shootings
Strategies to Reduce School Crime
School Uniforms
Zero Tolerance
Alternative Schools
School Searches
Due Process
Corporal Punishment
Free Speech
Public Policy Regarding Delinquency in Schools

11. Females and Delinquency
Definition of Sex and Gender
Differences between Boys and Girls
Physical Differences
Specialized Differences
Historical Overview
Females and Delinquency
Increase in Female Crime
Being Like Males
Paternalism and Females
Theories of Female Delinquency
Early Biological and Psychological Explanations
Sociological Explanations
Feminist Perspectives
Liberal Feminism
Phenomenological Feminism
Socialist Feminism
Marxist Feminism
Radical Feminism
Gender and the Juvenile Justice System
Female Delinquency and Public Policy

12. Delinquency Prevention
Current Delinquency Prevention in the United States
Primary Delinquency Prevention Programs
Prenatal Care for Expectant Mothers
Early Childhood and Preschool Programs
Parenting Skills
Neighborhood/Block Watch
Target Hardening Measures
Crime Preventions through Environmental Design (CPTED)
Secondary Delinquency Prevention Programs
Types of Risk Factors
Individual Risk Factors
Social Risk Factors
Community Risk Factors
Examples of Secondary Prevention Programs
Mentoring Programs
Job Training
School-Based Programs
Community Involvement
Delinquency Prevention Programs
Delinquency Prevention and Public Policy

13. Law Enforcement and Delinquency
Historical Overview
The Juvenile Justice System and Policing in the United States
Police Matrons and Delinquents
Professionalization of Policing
Law Enforcement;s Perception of Juveniles
Law Enforcement Officers and Social Workers
Law Enforcement Discretion
Racial and Gender Biases
Procedural Rules Governing Juveniles
Arrest
Search and Seizure
Custodial Interrogation
Delinquency Prevention Strategies
G.R.E.A.T.
The Police Athletic League
Police Cadet Programs
Aggressive Patrol
Community Policing and Problem-Oriented Policing
Law Enforcement-Juvenile Public Policy

14. Juvenile Court System
Historical Overview
Recent Changes
Criminal Court Transfers
Confidentiality Laws
Tougher Juvenile Sanctions
Juvenile Justice Participants
Judges
Referees
Prosecutors
Defense Attorneys
Probation Officers
Court Advocates
Juvenile Court Process
Intake
Detention
Bail
Plea Bargain
Transfer Procedure
Waivers to Adult Court
Adjudication
Disposition
Sentences
Death Penalty
Juvenile Courts and Public Policy

15. Corrections and Delinquency
History
Community-Based Corrections
Probation
Intensive Probation
Shock Probation
School-Based Probation
House Arrest
Restitution
Community Service
Mediation Programs
Day Treatment Facilities
Institutional Corrections
Short-Term Facilities
Institutional Life
Mental Illness and Detention
Gangs
Female Inmates
Suicide and Institutionalized Youths
Privatization of Juvenile Corrections
Institutional Programs for Detained Youths
Education and Vocational Training
Recreational Programs
Counseling and Therapy
Constitutional Rights of Detained Juveniles
Reentry and Aftercare
Juvenile Corrections and Public Policy

Glossary
Credits
Index