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... ells and Rankin, 1988). Social workers and other professionals might need to help families establish guidelines for appropriate conduct for misbehavior. In addition to the previously discussed contributing factors, there are several theories that attempt to explain why juveniles engage in criminal behavior.
Current research suggests that delinquent behavior is learned behavior and not genetically encoded. Two of the most prominent theories are Differential Association theory and Social Control theory. Shoemakers (1994) Differential Association theory relies on three fundamental assumptions. First, this theory assumes that all behavior that is not genetically derived is learned behavior. The second assumption states that the acquisition of behavior occurs in relatively small and informal groups. The final assumption maintains that behavior develops from a persons entire life experience as a whole as well as from particular instances and recent events.
Differential Association theory posits that if a child displays deviant / delinquent behavior then (s) he ultimately learned that behavior from the people closest to him / her . Clearly this theory supports investigation of delinquency within and through the context of the family, close peer groups and close social groups. The second notable theory, Social Control theory, was proposed by Curran and Renzetti (1994). Social Control theory suggests that a persons ties or bonds to social institutions such as family, church, school, etc. prevent him or her from pursuing criminal activity.
This theory is based on the concept that people commit crime because it is the easiest, most efficient, most gratifying way to satisfy ones needs and / or wants. Therefore, if children are relatively unattached to elements of their surrounding social institutions, they are more likely to become juvenile offenders. Despite the prominence of these theories, recent studies have shown that regardless of the theory utilized, there has been little impact on the reduction of juvenile arrest and crime (Jensen & Howard, 1998). Generally speaking, intervention in an attempt to understand and reduce juvenile criminality has been family centered. Several current studies employing a variety of methods have shown some promising effects.
Intensive, home-based treatment programs such as Home Ties have demonstrated a degree of success. The data collected show that these treatment programs were able to significantly reduce the need for out-of-home placements both initially and after a twelve month period (Haapala &Kinney, 1988). This study examined participants who were already involved with the juvenile justice system however and therefore the need to incorporate these treatment strategies / modalities into early intervention / prevention programs becomes apparent (Shumaker, 1997). Parent training classes have also proven somewhat beneficial but there are still some systemic problems which inhibit their success (Shumaker, 1997). For instance, parents must be able to perceive some reward for participating in training programs.
Additionally, programs must broaden their value and belief systems to include those of other religious, economic and political convictions as opposed to trying to impose democratic, middle class values on service recipients. Furthermore, new parent training regimens must focus on problem-specific curriculum to educate parents about contributing factors and warning signs. According to Lipsey, Wilson and Cothern (2000), there were several treatment modalities that demonstrated positive effects. This study observed consistent, positive effects among noninstitutionalized juvenile offenders through the employment of individual counseling, improvement of interpersonal skills (including problem solving, role taking and anger management), as well as the implementation of behavioral programs (established by court-ordered family therapy sessions).
Consistent, positive effects were also observed in institutionalized juvenile offenders as a result of improvement in interpersonal skills and use of Teaching Family Homes (community-based residential programs where teaching parents attempt to correct delinquency through behavior modification). Although there has been considerable investigation into juvenile delinquency, there are no definitive answers to the questions of causation or treatment. Literature reviews suggest that there are a multitude of causal variables and subsequently a multitude of potentially effective treatment modalities. It is clear that delinquency among minors does not exist in a vacuum and therefore solutions to this problem must take into account all of the contextual and situational elements surrounding the youth at risk. Further research is necessary in order to attain a more complete understanding of the complex nature of juvenile crime and how society can combat its detrimental effects. REFERENCES Bennett, I. (1960).
Delinquent and neurotic children: a comparative study with 100 case histories. New York: Basic Books. Corcoran, Jacqueline (1997). A solution oriented approach to working with juvenile offenders. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14, 4, 277 - 288. Curran, D.
J. , & Renzetti, C. M. (1994). Crime. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Publishing. Glueck, S. &Glueck, E. (1950). Unraveling juvenile delinquency.
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Avoiding out of home placements of high-risk status offenders through the use of home-based family preservation services. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 15, 334 - 348. Jennings, M. A. , & Gunther, J. (2000). Juvenile delinquency in search of a practice model: family health, differential association and social control.
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Last, J. S. , & Sampson, R. J. (1998). Unraveling families and delinquency: a reanalysis of the Glueck data. Criminology, 26, 355 - 380.
Labour, A. (1986). Traditional strict working class parenting: an undervalued system. British Journal of Social Work, 16, 625 - 644. Lipsey, M. W. , Wilson, D. B. , Cothern, L. (2000).
Effective intervention for serious juvenile offenders. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, D. C. U. S.
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R. (1985). Performance models for antisocial boys. American Psychologist, 41, 432 - 444. Shoemaker, D. J. (1996). Theories of delinquency.
New York: Oxford University Press. Shumaker, A. W. (1997). Preventing juvenile delinquency through early family intervention.
Journal of Family Social Work, 2, 3 73 - 85. Smith, C. A. , & Stern, S. B. (1997). Delinquency and antisocial behavior: a review of family processes and intervention research. The Social Service Review, 71, 3382 - 420.
Stern, S. B. , & Smith, C. A. (1999). Reciprocal relationships between antisocial behavior and parenting: implications for delinquency intervention. Families in Society, 80, 2, Mar-Apr, 169 - 181. Towberman, D. (1992).
National survey of juvenile needs assessment. Crime and Delinquency, 30, 230. Wells, L. E. , & Rankin, J. H. (1988).
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Research essay sample on Differential Association Theory Juvenile Justice System
