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Chapter 3: Individual Views of Delinquency: Choice and Trait

Rational choice, or choice, theory

Cesare Beccaria & Jeremy Bentham

Argues that people consider the consequences prior to the commission of their behaviors

Holds that the decision to violate the law comes after a careful weighing of the benefits

Assumes that people have “free will” to choose their behavior

Choice Theory

LO1. List the principles of choice theory and routine activities theory.

Photo:

I. Glory / Alamy

Economic need/opportunity – Kids may engage in illegal acts if the opportunity for success I right round the corner.

In reality, many youths from affluent families choose to break the law

Delinquent motives include:

Economic need/opportunity

Problem solving

False expectations

Opportunity

ENCOURAGING DELINQUENCY

LO1. List the principles of choice theory and routine activities theory.

Photos:

Is delinquency truly rational? Shane, a Portland, Oregon, youth, left an abusive family and has been

homeless since he was 17. He struggles with heroin addiction and is in and out of housing.

Portland has the highest population per capita of homeless youth in the United States. An estimated

2,500 youth lack permanent housing and live on the streets, in shelters, or “squats.” According

to studies, over 90 percent of Portland’s street kids are victims of sexual and physical abuse. The

epidemic spread of “meth” and some of the cheapest heroin in the nation fuel a high rate of drug

addiction. Infection of incurable diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV are also rampant among

homeless youth. The average life expectancy for a homeless youth living on the streets is 26 years

of age. Do kids like Shane really “choose” delinquency and drug abuse?

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Developed by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson

The view that crime is a normal function of the routine activities of modern living

Predatory crimes

Violent crimes against persons and crimes in which an offender attempts to steal an object from its holder are influenced by three variables:

The availability of suitable targets

The absence of capable guardians

The presence of motivated offenders

Routine Activities Theory

LO1. List the principles of choice theory and routine activities theory.

Fluctuations in the Delinquency Rate

LO1. List the principles of choice theory and routine activities theory.

Figure 3.1 Routine Activities Theory Helps Explain Fluctuations in the Delinquency Rate

Routine activities theory The view that crime is a normal function of the routine

activities of modern living. Offenses can be expected if there is a motivated offender and a suitable target that is not

protected by capable guardians.

Predatory crimes Violent crimes against persons and crimes in which an offender attempts to steal an object

directly from its holder.

General deterrence

Crime control policies that depend on the fear of criminal penalties, i.e., long prison sentences for violent crime

A guiding principle of deterrence is based on:

The severity of the punishment

The certainty of the punishment

The swiftness of the punishment

There is evidence that adolescents who perceive they will be arrested and punished for a crime will often forego delinquent acts

Choice Theory and Delinquency Prevention

LO2. Compare the principles of general deterrence, specific deterrence, and situational crime prevention.

Specific deterrence

If young offenders are punished severely, they will not repeat their illegal acts

“Learn from their own mistakes”

For example, sending convicted offenders to secure incarceration facilities; punishment is severe enough to convince them not to repeat their criminal activity

However, in some cases, experiencing punishment may actually increase the likelihood of reoffending

Choice Theory and Delinquency Prevention

LO2. Compare the principles of general deterrence, specific deterrence, and situational crime prevention.

Problems with a strict deterrence strategy:

Minors are not “rational”

Experienced offenders do not fear the legal consequences

High-risk offenders may not fear getting arrested

Many juveniles are under influence of drugs/alcohol

Juveniles often commit crimes in groups – “co-offending”

Most serious delinquents are not able to comprehend consequences

Punishment may produce defiance, rather than deterrence

Choice Theory and Delinquency Prevention

LO2. Compare the principles of general deterrence, specific deterrence, and situational crime prevention.

Situational crime prevention

To reduce delinquency, crime control must recognize the characteristics of sites and situations that are at risk to crime

Potential offenders are carefully guarded

The means to commit crime are controlled

Potential offenders are carefully monitored

Situational crime prevention includes:

Hot spot and crackdowns

Choice Theory and Delinquency Prevention

LO2. Compare the principles of general deterrence, specific deterrence, and situational crime prevention.

Photo;

This photo, taken from police surveillance video, shows vandals

inside Chesapeake High School in Pasadena, Maryland. Roughly

12 hours after the senior class graduated, vandals returned to

the school and caused significant property damage. What crime

prevention methods could be used to deter or prevent this type

of delinquent activity?

AP Images/Anne Arundel County police/Handout - Goverment Produced

Origins of trait theory

The school of thought is generally believed to have originated with the Italian physician Cesar Lombroso (1835-1909)

Father of criminology

Criminal atavism

Idea that delinquents manifest physical anomalies that make them biologically and psychologically similar to our primitive ancestors

By the middle of the 20th century, biological theories had fallen out of favor

Trait Theories: Biosocial and Psychological Views

LO3. Trace the history and development of trait theory.

Contemporary trait theory

For the most of the 20th century, delinquency research focused on social factors

Trait theories argue that a combination of personal traits and environmental factors lead to behavior patterns

Today’s trait theories:

Biosocial theory

Delinquency can be found in a child’s physical or biological makeup

Psychological traits and characteristics

Trait Theories: Biosocial and Psychological Views

LO3. Trace the history and development of trait theory.

Focuses on the association between biological makeup, environmental conditions, and antisocial behaviors

Three areas of biosocial theories:

Biochemical factors

Neurological function

Genetic history

Biosocial Theories of Delinquency

LO4. Analyze the branches and substance of biosocial theory.

Suspected relationship between antisocial behavior and biochemical makeup

Biochemical problems can begin at conception

e.g., maternal alcohol abuse

Environmental contamination, such as children exposed to high levels of air pollution

There is evidence that a child’s diet may influences his or her behavior

Hormonal levels, such as increased levels of testosterone, are also associated with antisocial behavior

Biochemical Factors

LO4. Analyze the branches and substance of biosocial theory.

Neurological dysfunction, such as minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) is associated with antisocial behavior

ADHD:

Condition in which a child shows a developmentally inappropriate lack of attention and impulse

Learning disabilities (LD):

Arrested children have a higher rate of LDs than children in the general population

Arousal theory:

“Thrill” and “sensation seekers”

Neurological Dysfunction

LO4. Analyze the branches and substance of biosocial theory.

Photo:

Neurological dysfunction linked to early childhood experiences has

been correlated with violent acts. Charles J. Hackney is serving

a 15-year sentence for shooting at vehicles on an interstate

highway with a pellet gun. Dr. Carl Bell, a psychiatrist who studies

violence prevention and mental health, said Hackney’s behavioral

history seems consistent with the effects of fetal alcohol spectrum

disorders, which are caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.

Assumes that:

Antisocial behavior is inherited

The genetic makeup of parent is passed on to children

Genetic abnormality is directly linked to antisocial behaviors

Three approaches to test the association:

Parental deviance

Twin studies

Adoption studies

Genetic Influences

LO4. Analyze the branches and substance of biosocial theory.

Photo:

Dalton Hayes, 18, is shown following his arrest in Panama City Beach, Florida. Hayes

and his 13-year-old girlfriend had vanished from their small hometown in western

Kentucky in January 2015. The couple was

arrested following a two-week crime spree

of stolen vehicles and pilfered checks across

the South. Could their spree be linked to the

need for arousing behavior that made them

feel “normal”?

AP Images/Uncredited

Many delinquent youths have poor home lives, and destructive relationships with people around them; this can indicate a disturbed personality

Three prominent psychological perspectives:

Psychodynamic theory

Behavioral theory

Cognitive theory

Psychological Theories of Delinquency

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Psychological Perspectives of Delinquency

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Figure 3.2

Psychodynamic theory

Branch of psychology that holds that the human personality is controlled by unconscious mental processes

Originated by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Personality consists of three major components:

Ego

Superego

The theory suggests that an imbalance in personality traits, caused by early childhood, can result in long-term psychological difficulties

Psychodynamic Theory

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Behavioral theory

Argument that personality is learned throughout life during interactions with others

“Behaviorism” concerns the study of observable behavior, rather than unconscious processes; focuses on particular stimuli and responses to them

Kids learn through reward and punishment

Cognitive theory

Studies the perception of reality and the mental processes required to understand the world we live in

Behavioral Theory/Cognitive Theory

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Personality

The stable patterns of behavior, including thoughts and emotions, that distinguish one person from the other

Hans Eysenck’s two traits associate with antisocial behavior:

Extraversion

Impulsive individuals who lack the ability to examine their own motives

Neuroticism

Individuals who are anxious and emotionally unstable

Personality and Delinquency

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Psychopathic personality

Also known as sociopathic or antisocial personality

A person lacking in warmth, exhibiting inappropriate behavior responses, and unable to learn from experience

Defined by persistent violations of social norms

Personality and Delinquency

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Delinquents believed to be substandard in intelligence and thus inclined to commit more crimes

Nature theory:

Intelligence is inherited and is a function of genetic makeup

Nurture theory:

Intelligence is determined by environmental stimulation and socialization

Intelligence and Delinquency

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Prevention efforts should be directed at strengthening a youth’s home life and relationships

Individual approaches have been used to prevent adjudicated youths from engaging in further criminal activities

Rehabilitation methods include psychological counseling or prescribed psychotropic medications

Trait Theory and Delinquency Prevention

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

Prevention

Early prevention pays off

Targeted at children’s health and well-being

Example: Prenatal/Early Infancy Project (PEIP)

Is there a danger that early prevention will label or stigmatize kids as potential delinquents? Can trying to do good result in something that creates long-term harm?

LO5. Contrast the various psychological theories of delinquency.

There are two branches of individual-level theories of delinquency

Choice theory (e.g., routine activities theory)

Biological trait theories (e.g., biosocial)

Psychological theories of delinquency explain delinquent behaviors

Psychodynamic theory, behavioral theory, and cognitive theory

Summary

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