Delinquents And Deviant Behavior

When we look at delinquents there is one common factor that we always look at first. This factor is the age of the criminal, and in large part this is due to the age crime curve. When delinquents are in their adolescence stages of life they are most likely to commit crimes. This is due to many factors that deal with the problems people may face while they are in their adolescent years of life, such as strain, stress, and anxiety. These factors then lead to things such as impulsivity and not thinking about the consequences an act may have. It has been consistent that older individuals handle stress better and in return do not act impulsive. (Hoffmann 2013) This evidence shows that while not all adolescence teens will commit crime, the probability …show more content…
Problematically, not all parents are skilled at recognizing acts of low self-control. Some parents allow the child to do as s/he pleases, such as not completing homework, excessive television viewing and computer use, not attending school daily, smoking, and using physical force. Not only does a parent need to recognize this deviant behavior, but the parent must also punish it in order to prevent further deviance. Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) suggest that “disapproval by people one cares about is the most powerful of sanctions.” Because the path toward or away from crime starts early in life, Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) assert that the level of self-control depends on the quality of early parenting. The self-control model states that parental concern for the welfare of the child is a necessary condition for successful child-rearing. Parents of delinquents are more likely to be characterized as indifferent toward their children compared to the mothers of no …show more content…
It should be noted that criminal offenses differ in the degree in which they can be prevented through parental supervision. Children at younger ages are monitored more closely than adolescents. The goal of parental supervision is to teach children values that they will uphold when not directly supervised by a parent (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990). By having a strong role model and presence in their lives delinquents are less likely to partake in criminal acts. By learning this self-control that Gottfredson and Hirschi talk about the kids are less likely to go and fall into some social norms such as drinking and smoking. When parents lay a good foundation for the kid, the kid will be less likely to go and commit crimes. While the age crime curve is very relevant in the criminal justice field, there are many factors that when figured out can make sure kids 16 to 20 will not concede to criminal acts. In return we will not see as many adolescent teens and adults end up in the criminal justice system. In return we will have a better running society and will get rid of a lot of problems that needed to be fixed. Self-control is extremely important and is something that should not be overlooked by criminologist and theorist