CJUS 340 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Criminology Research Paper _ASSIGNMENT 2023.pdf

Criminology Research Paper

Erin Young

Helms School of Government, Liberty University

CJUS 340 (B02): Criminology

Professor Markus Dupree

October 9, 2023

Criminology Research Paper

Many studies have been conducted to identify the factors that influence juvenile behavior.

Different points and perspectives are to be considered such as family and home life, school,

parents’ income, environment, and peers. Some may question which of these factors influence

children pull them in different directions of behavior. If children and teenagers are constantly

around crime, they are more likely to become involved in it. Various programs have been created

to help juveniles and prevent others from becoming engulfed in crime. Intervention at an early

age can help youths stray from becoming a criminal. Observing the factors that influence

children to be involved in delinquency can help the criminal justice system understand what

study the factors of delinquency and create programs to help youths, but more research is needed

to study the effectiveness of these programs so researchers can know what needs to be changed

in these programs. Juvenile delinquency will always be a problem as no one is perfect and can

always do the right thing. However, learning the factors of juvenile delinquency and making

changes can reduce the number of juvenile crimes. In turn, this may also help reduce crime rates

in the future because they will not carry these actions into adulthood. By giving children

guidance during their early years of development, people can encourage them to make good

decisions that will benefit their future.

Social Learning Theory

The social learning theory was created by Albert Bandura to explain how humans model

their behavior after what they observe. This theory is an attempt to demonstrate how juveniles

become involved in delinquent activity. If they observe aggressiveness in their home, they will

crime, they will view it as acceptable behavior. The social learning theory stresses the

importance of having a positive environment for children so they can grow up doing the right

thing. When children observe deviant behavior, they will engage in deviant activities. The home

children live in, the school they go to, and the hobbies or activities or programs they are involved

in can all influence the behavior they exhibit. Children will do what they see done and act the

research and solidify her statements. She looked at the different aspects of the parents’ personal

lives and how they treat children. A disadvantage to this study is that she mainly focuses on

children in Hungary, but she does touch on international issues as well. She claims that if no

parents are present in the home, children are more likely to become delinquent. Many families

face the issue of not having a father in the home which can make it difficult for boys to know

how to be a good father and husband in the future. The children have no example to follow or

anyone to give them direct guidance and direction. They may be tossed around families as they

grow up which raises more concerns with delinquency. Foster homes sometimes treat children

awfully which causes identity, attitude, and behavioral issues. Children who have been neglected

by parents or guardians are also likely to fall into delinquency.

It is important to also study how the parents’ personal lives can influence their children’s

behavior. When parents have low incomes, they can only afford to live in lower-class

crime. Adults and young adults who participate in criminal activities within the neighborhoods

may try to initiate children to be a part of them. Within neighborhoods, children who are close in

age are likely to spend a considerable amount of time together. The attitudes and actions of these

children heavily influence each other. Some neighborhoods may even have an afterschool

program that focuses on preventing violence, which helps reduce arrest rates of youth. It is also

and wrong, but unfortunately not all do. When children can distinguish between good and bad,

they will apply this anywhere they go. Discipline for bad behavior teaches children that there are

consequences for their actions. Undisciplined children do whatever they want and do not realize

that continuous wrongful actions will lead them to trouble. For example, if children are not

disciplined at home, they will act out at school and will be sent to the principal’s office. This also

leads to children getting whatever they want, and they will get upset if they cannot obtain their

desires. Many people continue this behavior into adulthood which can influence criminal

behavior. Discipline also encourages children to be respectful to others, especially authoritative

figures. This lessens the chance of them backtalking and becoming physically and verbally

abusive in arguments.

By learning to be respectful of people and property, people are less likely to commit

criminal acts against them. Those who are disrespectful may commit acts such as assault, battery,

they will learn and possess. Oftentimes, people view the lack of discipline as neglect and

maltreatment because they do not care about their children’s actions. When children are

neglected and mistreated, other areas in their life are affected such as school and academics.

They will lose their desire to learn resulting in no attention given to the lessons taught and

homework given. Once they start failing in classes, they are likely to skip or drop out. When this

and filtered out many articles that would not directly relate to their research. All the sources they

used are dated from 2012 to 2022 and are only relevant to the United States. Their limitations

included using only two databases for their research, using only peer-reviewed sources excluding

government reports and other types of literature, and having various sample sizes resulting in

different outcomes. In their findings, they established that family conflict and dysfunction,

neglect and maltreatment, and individual and family mitigating factors drastically impacted

juvenile delinquency. They also found that family and community-based interventions are

beneficial in reducing recidivism rates. If children are not raised in a stable home, they are more

likely to become a criminal than those who are raised in a secure home.

Gangs

Gangs are a rising concern among juveniles. They can be present in neighborhoods,

they commit. As discussed earlier, teenagers who struggle in school and skip or drop out may

join gangs to find acceptance or to pick up a “hobby.” Gang culture makes it difficult for

members to leave because a gang views it as turning against them. Therefore, young adults stay

involved in a gang in fear of violence toward them or even death. Gangs are extremely

dangerous to society and are violent to each other. Not only are gangs present in society, but they

School

The type of school and programs it offers can either draw children and teenagers away

from delinquency or encourage criminal activity. Schools that are in lower-class areas have fewer

resources, and many students are influenced by criminal activities in the area. Schools with good

afterschool programs can keep children busy by engaging in other activities like sports and clubs.

This will push their focus on being successful in these activities instead of focusing on negative

behavior. Engaging in sports or clubs also gives students a sense of belonging because they are

surrounded by teammates. Having good teachers who care about the well-being of students is

also essential for keeping students safe. Not only do they teach curriculum in a classroom, but

they can also teach life lessons to students. Most schools now employ School Resource Officers

(SROs) to ensure the protection and security of students. SROs can act as a “school parent” by

giving guidance and advice to students. If students have an adult at school they can look up to,

Peers

Wojciechowski (2018) studied the deviant influence young adults have on each other as

well as the resistance to peer influence. He used data from the Pathways to Desistance study

along with self-reports and interviews in various places. Limitations to this study include the use

of group-based trajectory modeling which can possibly misconstrue patterns and results if not

to peer influence are still influenced to offend in early adulthood but do not frequently offend.

Another finding of his study examined that teenagers who have deviant peers are likely to keep

these relationships into early adulthood.

Because of the desire and need for acceptance, adolescents will spend their time with

anyone who is like them and will welcome them into a social circle. This is why it is extremely

important for children and teenagers to have positive influences around them. Parents are

responsible for the activities children are involved in at an early age. By having them participate

in a positive environment, they are likely to stay with that group as they get older. When

adolescents reach middle and high school, they begin to struggle with identity issues and “fitting

in” with the right group of people. If they look for acceptance and join a deviant group, they are

likely to be peer pressured into the activities the delinquent individuals participate in. For

example, if an adolescent is invited to a party, they are introduced to alcohol and possibly drugs

time with positive influences will participate in activities beneficial for their well-being such as

exercising or playing games.

Prevention Programs, Intervention, and Recidivism

The goal of prevention programs is to prevent youths from participating in delinquency

and criminal activities. Intervention programs are provided to help adolescents struggling with

is diversion programs that help minor-offending youth to stray from delinquency. These may

look like academic tutoring services, counseling for substance use, development programs, and

mental health treatment, among others.

It is important to study the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs to gain

a greater understanding of what can be improved and what is being accomplished. Fagan (2021)

recently studied the effectiveness of peer prevention programs by using keywords related to

juvenile delinquency. She used two methods to identify these programs, and they are as follows:

utilizing three bibliographic databases and using a website called Blueprints for Healthy Youth

Development. A limitation of this study was found in a database used because it limited the

number of programs that were considered effective. Another limitation was the number of

databases used to search for the effectiveness of programs. She only found the prevention

programs listed in these databases and would have found more if she utilized other databases.

programs as there are few studies done to prove it. The results of her research showed that out of

thirty-three programs, only six were ineffective and seventeen were effective. The number of risk

factors in youth was reduced, and they were reported to have a desired change.

Conclusion

By studying the risk factors of juveniles, researchers can gain a greater understanding of

teaching discipline in the home and at school, children are more likely to stay out of trouble in

public. Actions done during childhood will continue to adulthood. The actions children observe

while they are young are the actions they will portray to others. If an adolescent offends, he is

considered a delinquent. When juveniles become involved in delinquency, programs are offered

to them to prevent more criminal behavior, intervene during their crisis, and divert their

tendencies to something beneficial for their well-being.