Behavioral Theories and Juvenile Delinquency

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Behavioral Theories of Juvenile Crime

Devan Yokum

Walden University

Juvenile Delinquency and Justice

Dr. Danielle McDonald

November 1, 2020

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Behavioral Theories of Juvenile Crime

Explanation of Juvenile Crime

Juveniles commit crimes for a variety of reasons varying from a troubled home life and

the lack of adult attention to the common issue of peer pressure. Whatever the reason may be,

their behavior is a conscious decision that they make, risking the possibility of being held

responsible for their choices and consequences (Justice, 2020). Behavioral theories are necessary

to explain juvenile crime because there are so many things to take into consideration when

attempting to understand one’s behavior, especially juveniles; given the fact that they’re not fully

mentally developed yet. For example, if a child chooses to act out using bad behavior because

their sibling or family member exposes them to that sort of behavior, then they’re exemplifying

characteristics of learning theory. They’re continuously witnessing bad behavior; therefore,

they’re acquiring those same bad tendencies. Behavioral theories allow professionals to provide

these assessments to find the root or underlying cause of the behavior, which helps correct the

unwanted bad behavior.

Addressing Juvenile Behavior Through Theories

Many behavioral theories that can be used to explain juvenile crime; some being more

valuable and applicable than others. For instance, the biological theory is based upon the idea

that criminal behavior, or delinquency, is inherited genetically. Ideally, most people’s first

thought is “well there isn’t a gene you can pass down to a child that could put them more at risk

to be a criminal?”, but it’s more complicated than that. It’s based on a chemical science. In this

sense, many imbalances can cause a young person to act out which could potentially result in

delinquent behavior. Learning disabilities, glandular malfunctions, nutrition, to racial heritage

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can all be factors to be considered in biological theories (Cox, 2018). This has been proven to be

scientifically applicable to understanding juvenile delinquency while also continuously being

studied and improved.

Deterrence theory is also relative when explaining and understanding juvenile

delinquency as it explains the relationship between bad behavior and punishment. This is another

extension of the classical approach. When a juvenile (and most likely adults as well) commits a

crime no matter big or small, they will weigh the risk of the punishment before committing the

act (Cox, 2018). When doing so, if they are aware that little to no punishment is a likely result of

the act they’re going to make, the will to do it increases. So, if a parent is strict, enforces the

rules and punishment, and they’re mostly certain their actions will result in stiff consequences,

the likelihood to commit the crime or repeat a committed crime, decreases. Overall, this can be

drawn back to the parent’s and their level of authoritativeness when disciplining their children.

While there are many theories that can be applied to numerous juvenile behavioral

patterns that correlate with the commission of a crime, there was one that did not seem to fit any

modern-day explanation; this being demonology. Demonology is a theory that was used in the

late 14th century that focused on explaining the reason for juvenile crime or mental illness

through the possession of an evil spirit, or demon (Cox, 2018). With no criticism of any religious

faith, the argument is not that it is not possible or does not exist, instead, it merely does not apply

to the reasoning or explanation of why juveniles commit a crime. People in the late 1590’s

believed that individuals who violated social norms and committed crimes were possessed by an

evil spirit or higher power and the only way to end this unwanted behavior was to drive the

demon out of their body through spiritual rituals and trephining (drilling holes in the brain) (Cox,

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2018). Scientists have proven many valuable theories that contradict demonology and its beliefs

on crime.

Reference on Case Study

In this week’s case study, a 15-year-old boy was arrested at his local high school. The

school faculty, students, and family members described this young boy as a “loner”. It seems like

this student is disassociated with the social norms of day to day high school, friends, and

relationships. Another student disclosed information about the boy’s website where he would

provide information and tips on how to hack official government websites. This was also the

reason he was arrested. He hacked into multiple government websites, including the Department

of Defense and other highly secured areas.

After gathering information about this boy and analyzing common behavioral theories,

the theory of neurocriminology seems to best fit this case. “Neurocriminology is based on the

idea that criminal behavior is only partially explained by social issues and that physiological

factors, particularly neurological factors, play a more important role in determining criminality”

(Cox, 2018). Scientific studies indicate that people who exhibit antisocial or criminal behavior

tend to have structural neural abnormalities that can affect brain functions that regulate emotional

reactions and/or analytical reasoning (Cox, 2018). Additionally, there have also been research

findings on people who are diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder usually have an

impaired amygdala, which is an area of the brain that regulates emotional response (Cox, 2018).

If this boy does in fact have some sort of antisocial personality disorder, it could lead to the

understanding of why he thinks and acts the way he does, including what drives him to commit

these crimes that have now cost him his freedom.

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Neurocriminolgy theory best fits this case because it is most commonly seen in people

who have some sort of personality disorder. Being antisocial is a psychosocial derivative of

having a personality disorder. The fact that this boy was a “loner” with not many friends or

acquaintances stuck out as a red flag. The prefrontal cortex of the brain is the part of the brain

that is responsible for behavior, which could indicate that this child was lacking certain

neurotransmitters; causing his behavior to be antisocial (Cox, 2018). Thus, explaining the crime

due to his mental state and chemical imbalance.

If an intervention were to be set up and approached with caution, the series of events

leading up to his arrest could’ve been avoided. Because he didn’t have many friends, his family

likely interacted with him the most on a daily basis, so the intervention should’ve started at

home. His mother or father should’ve recognized his withdrawn behavior and voiced their

concern before sitting down and discussing the possibility of seeing a psychotherapist for a

mental evaluation. If diagnosed early enough, this boy could’ve been treated with medication to

balance the chemicals and neurotransmitters in his brain. If this approach was successful, his

desire to commit these crimes could’ve diminished, changing the series of events leading to his

arrest.

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References

Cox, S. M., Allen, J. M., Hanser, R. D., & Conrad, J. J. (2018). Juvenile justice: A guide to

theory, policy, and practice (9th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Justice, C. (2020). Juvenile Delinquency - Criminal Justice - IResearchNet. https://criminal-

justice.iresearchnet.com/crime/juvenile-delinquency/3/.

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