Essay on Delinquency: Interplay of Genetics & Social Factors in Juvenile Behaviors

Introduction

Delinquency entails minor crimes that are usually committed by young people. Studies over the past few decades on the normal development of a child indicate that the development of delinquent behaviors depends on the individual, social and community conditions as well as how their interactions influence their behaviors (Farhadian, 2016). The research indicated a strong correlation between antisocial and delinquent behaviors and complexities in the interplay of one's genetic and biological factors and environmental factors which start from fetal development and advance throughout life. This boils down to the life course theory and its major contribution to the development of delinquent behaviors in America among other countries.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The life course theory remains a strong contributor towards the development of delinquent behavior due to the fact that it entails a life course perspective that ensures a multidisciplinary archetype in the study of the lives of people, social changes and structural contexts and how they contribute to a certain behavior or character (Alwin, 2012). The approach involves ideas and observations that establish an array of disciplines, social aspects, history, developmental psychology, demography, economics, and biology among others, all of which form a concrete pillar for the development of delinquent behavior. According to data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP, 2017)), 809,700 arrests were made for persons under the age of 18 years in the USA as of 2017 for all delinquent behaviors. Therefore, in line with the life course theory, how do cultural factors, childhood development in America, age, race, and gender contribute to delinquency?

Cultural Factors Influencing Delinquency

Culture is a vital aspect of the life course theory that aids in the understanding of the social changes, structural contexts, and sociological aspects of an individual. Cultural factors contribute significantly to the development of delinquent behaviors over time. Some of the factors that constitute the cultural aspect of recent times include education, media, and migration (Farhadian, 2016). Other than the family, school plays a vital role in the social life of a child, as they spend most of their active time in school.

Various factors contribute to the deviation of children while at school and result in delinquency over time. These may include a poor role played by the teacher, a lack of compliance and coordination of the educational programs, irregular contact between the family educators, improper guidance and inadequate educational facilities against delinquent behaviors (Farhadian, 2016). A lack of knowledge with regards to the educational and scientific problems of children also forms a basis for deviance and criminal offenses.

Despite the benefits that accompany media, it also comes along with some disadvantages that contribute to delinquency. The media is a vital part and parcel of the current society, especially with the advancement of technology, social media platforms, cinemas, computers, and the internet. These areas have turned out to be criminal training schools for children, whose ability to learn and make imitations is very high (Farhadian, 2016). Exposure to such issues on a daily basis has increased the rate of juvenile crimes.

Migration is also another vital aspect of culture that results in delinquency over time. The current culture is marked by an increase in migration from rural to urban areas. It results in the problems of marginalization, favorable and appropriate conditions in the urban areas and the concentration of welfare facilities in the cities. With time, the result is a lack of adequate housing, non-compliance with the regulations and governing principles of the urban communities resulting in slum dwelling which contributes to the onset of criminal life (Farhadian, 2016).

Childhood Development and Its Effect on Delinquency

Childhood development also forms a vital backbone to the establishment of delinquency. It aids in the understanding of the individual aspect of the contribution of the development systems to the delinquent behaviors on the life course theory. The concept of child development entails the relationship of the childhood complexes and commissions of crime. With the advancement in the economy and other societal problems, some parents in the developed countries such as the U.S. tend to act with aggressiveness and mental distress with their children causing the child to replicate during his/her childhood and even greater over time as they get older. Emotions also play a part in child development such as anger, fear, and maternal affection. Misuse of such emotions in the development process causes the child to be wayward and result in destructive dangers.

Divorce is also a vital aspect that affects the development of a child. This is a major problem facing relationships, families, marriages, and children in America. According to Farhadian (2016), the children of divorce when compared to those whose parents are still living together have wayward, hostile, aggressive and unable to control their behaviors; are likely to experience difficulty in maintaining social relationships; have high chances of joining others in anti-social behavior and are likely to become addicted to alcohol, smoking and drugs among others, all of which are major contributors to delinquency.

Contribution of Age, Gender and Race on Delinquency

According to Fagan, Horn, Antaramian & Hawkins (2011), there is emerging evidence that age, gender, and race should be considered in tandem to clearly understand how the family environment shapes delinquency during the life course of a child. Studies involving white children from intact families showed that parental monitoring declined significantly from grades 9-12 for boys while compared to no adjustment for girls (Fagan, Horn, Antaramian & Hawkins, 2011). There was a reported increase in inept parenting, which involves a combination of poor monitoring, hostility and harsh discipline, for girls as opposed to boys between grades seven and ten.

Another research with regards to parental practices among high-risk African American youth in Pittsburgh found that the relationship between parental supervision and delinquency weakened from grade 7 to 9 for both sexes with no significance in grades 10-12 for any of the genders. Studies using various national cross-sectional data indicated that the various variables under consideration that were strongly related to delinquency during mid-adolescence (13-16 years) for males and important in late-adolescence (15-18 years) for females (Fagan, Horn, Antaramian & Hawkins, 2011). These aspects of age, gender and race indicate how they affect parenting among the various races and consequently contribute to delinquency within the life course of a child.

Conclusion

To conclude, the life course theory is a significant predictor of delinquency behaviors within society. This is because of the fact that the theory tends to address all the life course perspectives while providing a multidisciplinary paradigm to study the lives of people. In this case, the cultural, child development processes, age, race, and gender are among the factors that constitute the life course theory. Others include societal, economic and geographical factors. It is, therefore, vital to take actions that will help to eradicate the problem of children delinquency to prevent crime in the future and achieve a desirable community with proper security, order, and social justice.

References

Alwin, D. (2012). Integrating Varieties of Life Course Concepts. The Journals Of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences And Social Sciences, 67B(2), 206-220. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr146

Fagan, A., Lee Van Horn, M., Antaramian, S., & Hawkins, J. (2010). How Do Families Matter? Age and Gender Differences in Family Influences on Delinquency and Drug Use. Youth Violence And Juvenile Justice, 9(2), 150-170. doi:10.1177/1541204010377748

Farhadian, A. (2016). Study of the factors affecting the delinquency of children. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies ISSN 2356-5926. Retrieved from https://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/article/download/2015/1849

"Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention," (2017). Estimated number of juvenile arrests, 2017. Ojjdp.gov. Retrieved from https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/qa05101.asp