assigment
Towards A General Theory of Delinquency
Agnew (18)
Overview of a General Theory of Crime
Major direct causes of individual delinquency
1. four clusters
irritability/low self-control
poor parenting practices
negative school experiences
association with delinquent peers/gang members
2. causes related to all major delinquency theories
Clusters relate to one another
reciprocal effect
affect other clusters
delinquency affects clusters
biological factors and larger social environment affect clusters
Review of Theories/ Research
Theories of Delinquency
1. strain theory focuses on stressful events that lead to delinquency
two major types of strain—failure to achieve positively-valued goals and loss of positive stimuli/presentation of negative stimuli
strain leads to negative emotions
delinquency used in an effort to cope with strain and negative emotions
2. social learning theory focuses on associations with others that lead to delinquency
present beliefs favorable to delinquency
model delinquency
reinforce delinquency
3. control theory focuses on controls that prevent delinquency
direct controls
stakes in conformity
internal controls
4. labeling theory focuses on individuals with “delinquent” label
often rejected and treated in harsh manner
harsh/rejecting treatment increases delinquency
5. explain life-course patterns of offending
adolescent-limited offending
life-course persistent offending
6. describe situations conducive to delinquency
juvenile is provoked
drugs/alcohol are used
attractive targets available
capable guardians absent
delinquent peers present
Research
1. Individual traits
2. family experiences
3. school experiences
4. school characteristics
5. delinquent peers or gang membership
6. religion, work, mass media, drugs, and guns
General Theory of Crime
General Theory of Delinquency
The major direct causes of individual delinquency grouped into four clusters
1. irritability/low self control
lower in internal control
higher in strain
learn to engage in crime
labeled as “bad” and treated in harsh/rejecting manner
2. poor parenting practices
high in strain
low indirect control
low stake in conformity
learn to engage in aggressive behavior
parents label children as “bad” and treat in harsh/rejecting manner
3. negative school experiences
high in strain
low stake in conformity
low direct control
learn to engage in crime
4. delinquent peer association
increases strain
reduces direct control
reduces stake in conformity
fosters social learning of crime
increases likelihood of being labeled as “bad”
increases time spent in unstructured, unsupervised activities
How are the clusters related?
1. reciprocal effects between clusters
each cluster has direct effect on delinquent and indirect effect through other clusters
problems in one cluster tend to create problems in other clusters
2. each cluster influences effect of other clusters on delinquency
effect of one cluster on delinquency greater when other clusters conducive to delinquency—e.g., delinquent peer associations conditions effect of poor parenting practices on delinquency
conditioning effects improve ability to predict delinquency
3. delinquency often affects clusters, and prior delinquency often directly increases likelihood of subsequent delinquency
delinquency affects clusters
most likely when others label delinquents as “bad” and treat in harsh/rejecting manner
effect conditioned by juvenile’s prior standing on clusters
prior delinquency directly increases likelihood of subsequent delinquency
delinquency not detected or sanctioned by conventional others
delinquents find delinquent behaviors beneficial in certain ways
effect conditioned by individual’s standing on clusters
4. background variables affect clusters
biological factors
genetic inheritance
biological harm
social environment
type of community
position in larger society in terms of gender, age, and parental social class
association of race/ethnicity with clusters due to relationship between race/ethnicity and parental social class and community characteristics
larger social influences such as economic system
Life Course and Group Differences
Patterns Of Offending Over Life Course
What accounts for differences in offending over the life course??
1. adolescent-limited pattern
social and biological changes associated with adolescence affect four clusters
increase in delinquent peer association increases offending
2. life-course persistent pattern
develop traits of irritability/low self-control and experience poor parenting early in life
create problems in other domains/clusters
Group differences in delinquency largely explain by the fact that members of some groups score high on clusters
GTC and Male Rates of Crime
Why Do Males Higher Rates?
Males higher in irritability/low self-control
1. evidence for biological factors
sex-related differences in temperament at birth
sex differences in physical aggression early in life
historical and cross-cultural studies consistently find males more involved in physical aggression
genetic inheritance
2. evidence for environmental factors
females socialized to be submissive, dependent, empathetic, and supportive
males socialized to be aggressive/assertive, risk taking, independent, and competitive
Gender differences in other clusters
1. males less closely supervised by and attached to family members
2. males less attached to school, spend less time on schoolwork, and do less well in school
3. males more likely to associate with delinquent peers
Special role of sexual abuse in explaining serious female offending
1. females more often victims of sexual abuse
2. often respond by running away from home
3. turn to crime to survive
prostitution
drug selling
petty theft
4. involvement in such activities leads to further abuse and exploitation
5. frequently arrested and returned to home environment where may experience further abuse
Review of GT
Overview of General Theory
Major direct causes of delinquency grouped into four clusters, which affect delinquency
1. increase strain
2. reduce control
3. increase social learning for crime
4. increase labeling
Clusters have reciprocal effects on one another
Each cluster conditions effect of other clusters on delinquency
Engaging in delinquency affects clusters and increases subsequent delinquency
Biological factors and larger social environment affect clusters