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