Juvenile Deliquency Exam #2

Front 1

What is theory?

Back 1

Is an attempt to explain something or describe the causes of something.

Front 2

In the language and social research, child abuse is our independent variable in juvenile delinquency is our dependent variable.

Back 2

In the language and social research, child abuse is our independent variable in juvenile delinquency is our dependent variable.

Front 3

Basic parts of theory:
the theory lists what it is that we want to explain.

The theory lists what we believe to be the cause of juvenile delinquency.

The theory explains why the independent variable causes delinquency.

Back 3

Basic parts of theory:
the theory lists what it is that we want to explain.

The theory lists what we believe to be the cause of juvenile delinquency.

The theory explains why the independent variable causes delinquency.

Front 4

Conditioning variables

Back 4

Specify the conditions under which the independent variables are most likely to cause delinquency.

Front 5

If researchers carefully select a sample of one or 2000 juveniles they can accurately generalize from this sample to all juveniles in the United States.

Back 5

If researchers carefully select a sample of one or 2000 juveniles they can accurately generalize from this sample to all juveniles in the United States.

Front 6

Random sample

Back 6

A random sample is selected such that each juveniles in the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Front 7

Surveys

Back 7

Involve asking people questions either into them or have them fill out questionnaires.

Front 8

Experiments

Back 8

You do something to the group of people and then observe the consequences.

Front 9

Field studies

Back 9

Criminologists sometimes go out into the community and study juveniles firsthand involves a combination of observation and intensive interviewing.

Front 10

Intensive interviews

Back 10

Are much less structured the interviewer usually has a list of topics to explore but there a few predetermined questions and respondents can answer each question in their own words.

Front 11

In order to determine whether some independent variable causes delinquency we should....

Back 11

Define the variables.

Front 12

Positive association

Back 12

Abuse juveniles would be more delinquent than non-abused.

Front 13

Negative association

Back 13

Those with high grades should be less delinquent than those with low grades.

Front 14

Strain theory

Back 14

When juveniles experience stream or stress they become upset and he sometimes engaged in delinquency as a result.

Front 15

Categories of strain

Back 15

Failure to achieve goals, money, status respect, the thrills and excitement, freedom from adults.

Front 16

Behavioral coping

Back 16

Strategies, attempting to act in ways that reduce the strain they are experiencing. Certain of these strategies may involve non-delinquent behavior. Other behavioral strategies for reducing strain, as indicated earlier, involve delinquency.

Front 17

Emotional coping

Back 17

Rather than trying to reduce their strain or cognitively reinterpreted, they act directly on the negative emotions that result from strain they may attempt to reduce their negative emotions to non-delinquent strategies like exercise etc. or they may employ delinquent strategies such as the use of illegal drugs.

Front 18

Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency among individuals with poor coping skills and resources.

Back 18

Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency among individuals with poor coping skills and resources.

Front 19

Differential reinforcement

Back 19

Means simply that different behaviors have different probabilities of being reinforced.

Front 20

Positive reinforcement

Back 20

The behavior results in something good--- some positive consequence. This could be in the form of money, the pleasurable feelings associated with drug use, attention from parents, approval from friends, or an increase in social status.

Front 21

Negative reinforcement

Back 21

A behavior results in the roomful of something bad-- a punisher is removed or avoided.

Hint 21

For an example suppose your friends have been calling you a coward because you refuse to use drugs with them. You will eventually take drugs with them, after which time they stop calling you a coward. Your drug use has been negatively reinforced.

Front 22

Positive punishment

Back 22

Involve the presentation of something bad.

Hint 22

For example, you engage in a delinquent act and your parents spank you verbally reprimand you.

Front 23

Negative punishment

Back 23

Involves the removal of something good.

Hint 23

For example your parents punish her delinquency by reducing your allowance of prohibiting you from watching your favorite TV show.

Front 24

Some juveniles hold certain general values that are conducive to delinquency. These values do not explicitly approve or justify delinquency, but they make delinquency appear a more attractive alternative.

Back 24

1. In attraction to "excitement," "thrills," or "kicks,"
2. Disdain for hard work and a desire for quick, easy success.
3. A high value on toughness-- on being macho."

Hint 24

1. In attraction to "excitement," "thrills," or "kicks,"
2. Disdain for hard work and a desire for quick, easy success.
3. A high value on toughness-- on being macho."

Front 25

Representative

Back 25

The characteristics of the juveniles in our sample should be similar to those of all juveniles in the United States.

Front 26

Sykes & Matza--conditions in which crime is justified/excused.
The excuses and justifications employed by juveniles assumed five basic forms:

Back 26

1. Denial of responsibility: delinquents claim that delinquency is excusable when a person is not responsible for his or her behavior. EXAMPLE: "My parents abused me and I can't help myself."

2. Denial of injury: delinquents claim that delinquency is excusable when no one is harmed by it. EXAMPLE: "Insurance will cover the loss." or "I was just borrowing the car."

Front 27

Sykes & Matza--conditions in which crime is justified/excused.
The excuses and justifications employed by juveniles assumed five basic forms:

Back 27

3. Denial of the victim: delinquents claim that delinquency is justifiable when the victim deserves it. EXAMPLE: "The store owner is dishonest." or "She started by insulting me."

4. Condemnation of the condemners: Deliquents claimed that delinquency is justifiable or excusable when those who condemn them also engage in questionable behavior.EXAMPLE: "My parents drink and that's just as bad as using marijuana." or "All the cops and politicians are crooked."

Front 28

Sykes & Matza--conditions in which crime is justified/excused.
The excuses and justifications employed by juveniles assumed five basic forms:

Back 28

5. Appeal to higher loyalties: Deliquents claim that delinquency is justifiable when it serves some higher purpose.EXAMPLE: "I did it to help my friends." or "protect my turf."

Front 29

Self-control (internal control) -

Back 29

Have trouble restraining themselves from acting on their immediate desires.

Front 30

Amoral orientation to delinquency:

Back 30

They believe that delinquency is neither good nor bad as a consequence their beliefs do not restrain them from engaging in delinquency.

Front 31

Poor parenting

Back 31

There are several causes of poor parenting"
their parents often reject them
failed to effectively supervise and discipline them
and treat them in a harsh or abusive manner. pg 187

Front 32

Life course persistent offender-

Back 32

Offenders make up only 4 to 10% of the population, they are an important group--- accounting for a large share of all delinquency, including perhaps a majority of all serious delinquency.

Front 33

Traits of life-course persistence:

Back 33

Differ from adolescence-limited offenders in that they tend to suffer from a number of related problems early in life.

1. they have traits conducive to crime.
2. Like low self-control and irritability.
3. they experience poor parenting.

Front 34

adolescence-limited vs life-course offender:

Back 34

Life-course persistent offenders do not stop offending when they become adults, dear offending is not rooted in the biological and social changes associated with adolescence. It is rooted in ongoing problems that originate during the childhood years. Further, the family, school, and other problems experienced by life-course persistent offenders are more serious than those experienced by adolescence offenders. Making it difficult for life-course persistent offenders to escape from a life of crime.

But it should be noted that all juveniles who experience poor parenting and irritability/low self-control early in life become life-course persistent offenders.

Front 35

Labeling theory:

Back 35

Focuses on the reaction to delinquency: both the official reaction by the justice system and the informal reaction by parents, peers, teachers and others.

Front 36

In order to determine whether "some independent variable" causes delinquency--we should

Back 36

We test theories.
We carefully defined as independent and dependent variables.
We gathered data through surveys, experiments, field studies and intensive interviews.

Front 37

goal blocking (goal blockage)

Back 37

The inability of individuals to achieve culturally prescribed success goals.

Front 38

Impulsivity

Back 38

The tendency to act without considering the consequences of one's behavior.

Front 39

Indirect monitoring

Back 39

The parent or authority figure does not directly observe the juvenile makes an effort to keep tabs on what the juvenile is doing.

Front 40

Radical Non-intervention

Back 40

Claiming that the best way to reduce delinquency is to do as little as possible about it.

Front 41

Restorative justice

Back 41

Restorative justice approach involves a conference between the offender, the victim, family members of the offender and victim, and selected community representatives.