Peer Influence

Improved Essays
People think that most delinquents are caused by parental effects but peer pressure is a common cause. Between the ages of 8-14 children are more dependent on the opinion of their friends. There is no difference in gender when it comes to peer influence both genders that show aggressive signs end up having a hard time in relationships and often turn to criminal activities. Peers have a great effect on one another, they may each share the same situations and can relate to one another this is why the influence is much at risk. The types of friends a person has is the type of effect that can be caused on a person. If they choose to hang with a “popular” clique then what ever that popular clique does then they most likely will follow. Those who …show more content…
Even though females are influenced differently from males, the people they associate themselves with, usually have a delinquent background. This is a concern amongst researchers, in the 1990s there was a surge arrest of girls, and this arrest made it recognized that girls are also involved in gangs, and delinquent acts. Although females are involving themselves in gang membership there is link to sexual and physical abuse experiences. Researchers identify how this victimization relates to delinquency and how there may be a prevention for this not to happen again. Increase in the delinquency for girls has been studied for tracking juvenile arrest, but arresting them may not reflect in changes of the girl’s behavior. Juvenile delinquent acts caused by young girls, have histories of victimization which places them at risk of being victimized in the court system. The risk factors of gang membership have areas of significance including risk factors of victimization and poor family relationships, these types of issues predict the females for being at risk of delinquency and antisocial behaviors. Being a victim of any sort of abuse is a strong predictor of engagement in violent behavior for girls, any history of physical, or sexual abuse, correlates with aggression, violence, and running away. Studies show that being abused …show more content…
The effects of peer pressure leads to delinquent acts, during the stages of adolescent years, the individual feels more linked to their peers, then they do with their parents which leads to peer influence. There is no gender difference, between females, and males both genders are peer influenced but differently. Females are more likely to engage themselves with peers who also have delinquent profiles. The only way for an adolescent to not be engaged in peer pressure is for them to have self-control. Self-control is a way for adolescences to avoid the influences of their peers, if a person has low self-control then they are more likely to turn over to peer pressure. We need to understand the reason for peer pressure, and also that it varies in ages. Peer pressure is more common in young, and middle aged adolescents. During this age adolescence are more vulnerable to wanting to being accepted by their peers so they engage in delinquent acts with their friends. Although peer pressure is a common problem amongst adolescence, gang membership is also another problem, and is very common in females. Abuse is a link to gang membership, females are being victimized and turning to game affiliation as a result to their problems. In the juvenile system we need to understand that both problems amongst adolescents is a reason being why they engage in these behavioral problems. If we do not

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    (Grove Crutchfield 1982)” Physical punishment was strictly related to misbehavior in both girls and boys. The feelings of the parents toward the child was a huge predictor of juvenile delinquency. This predictor proved stronger for girls than it was for boys. There are many factors which either lead or mislead a child into juvenile delinquency. My duty is to use this research found and try and come up with a possible solution to help decrease Juvenile…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Female Gang Subculture

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Researchers have found that females are more responsive toward cognitive based treatments because of their empathetic and perspective nature. Therefore, gender based preventions and treatments must be developed to efficiently understand why researchers have determined two overriding themes for gang membership of females. Molidor (1996) explains that girls may join a gang in order to avoid negative home environments and because they might identify with aggressive behavior that was exhibited by their parents. Female youth who experience abuse within the family unit sometimes may join a gang to seek out protection from the abuse. It is also very common that the abuse in the household stops a healthy relationship between child and parents from forming therefore, female youth look for support elsewhere.…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The focus on juvenile delinquency looks to figure out the reasons why juveniles are motivated to deviate from the socially acceptable norms. Analysis of why juveniles commit delinquent acts is best addressed by utilizing the theories in Criminology that are commonly associated with juveniles. These theories are Labeling Theory, Social Learning Theory, Social Control Theory, and Differential Association Theory, and all are relevant to how juveniles are socialized to interact with society. These interactions in society can exert influences on juveniles and can…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    al., 2014) what may be these visible problems in troubled families? Lack of guidance? The research in this article suggests that the more problems there are in the family and the more exposure there is to this undue violence the more coherent it becomes for an adolescent to become a gang member. Supporting evidence may be approached in a scarce way through the interactional theory by Thornberry and Krohn who combined that “gang membership result from a reciprocal relationship” (Alleyne and Wood, 2010) the theory in this report conducted by the secretary of state uses additional social domains built around this idea of peer pressure or schools but do focus on families as an add on so it cannot be applied by itself with Casey’s research. The effects of a dysfunctional family according to scholars and academics combined with and based upon social aspects turn ‘young children’ to ‘young gang members’ as shown by the report from…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Cindy Sanchez Juvenile Justice System C. Drew 9/22/15 Mental Health and Violent Offending Juvenile delinquents, minors who commits acts that violate the law. Not all juveniles are prone to perpetrate crimes. There are many studies towards why adolescents commit crimes. Most criminologists conclude that theories and mental health can be excellent explanations towards offending. Choice theory, trait theory and mental health issues are superb studies to further understand the causes of juvenile delinquency.…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Schram And Gaines Summary

    • 126 Words
    • 1 Pages

    In this peer reviewed journal, Schram and Gaines examine the differences between delinquent non-gang members and delinquent gang members when they participate in gang prevention programs. The authors argument is supported when they stated that both gang and non-gang members were doing good at school when they participated in the Multidisciplinary Team Program. Because of programs like this, both gang and non-gang members improve their relationship with their family, and they stop using alcohol and drugs. The authors selected juveniles who were member of the MDT Program. They want to observe the progress between gang and non-gang juveniles.…

    • 126 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Youth Gangs

    • 1232 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Social disorganization is a prime example of this research. Although not all members of gangs are involved in serious violence crimes, violence does outline a major problem in urban communities. Juveniles turn to gang membership in these particular areas for protection. They feel that no one is there for them and they need to go out looking…

    • 1232 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction This paper will go over the nature and scope of juvenile antisocial behavior as it relates to organized gangs. It will describe three of the most common forms of antisocial behaviors in organized gangs. It will also cover and describe three types of proactive solutions to the gang violence. Juveniles that are involved in gangs normally have some contributing factors that pushed them towards wanting to hang out or join a gang.…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Female Gangs Sociology

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Female gang members have been affected not only by these economic shifts but by recent changes in the welfare system. On top of these financial struggles the ethnic background of these girls plays a large role as well. Early gangs were mostly European immigrants, today we see a large number of African American, and Latino females in our gangs across the United States. Having this source of history, family pressure also often contributes to the girls of gang families participating. Because most readings on gangs represent females as secondary participants and fails to properly describe the implications of violence in their groups, this study will cover which aspects are a cause of violence and how important violence is to female/girl…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Gang Risk Factors

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Generally research shows the risk factors fall into five different categories: individual, family, peer, school and community (Melde et al. 2012). This research also suggests that while examining each of these categories individually, it is important to note that the highest probability of gang involvement is when an adolescent fits into one or more categories. Furthermore this research conducted examined youth and risk factors in each risk category, resulting in youth that who fit into seven or more risk factors presented as 13 times more likely to joining a gang. In comparison youth who met four to six risk factors presented as five times more likely to joining a gang.…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gangs is a big key issue is in America in today Society. 24,500 gangs in the United States, 40% are juveniles under the age of 18 years old. 15% of juveniles in prison are female and 85% are males. Factors that lead involvement is truancy, no positive role model, no activities outside of school to keep out of trouble, friends who commit crimes, early crimes in petty theft and behavior issues when younger , and low incomed family’s. I choose to write my paper about “Helping at risk youth say no to gangs.…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Being involved in a gang makes it more likely that adolescents will commit many crimes (Gaines & Miller, 2015, 2012.) They will always be involved with the wrong people, act out, be violent, and will find themselves participating in break-ins, assaults, felony thefts, robberies, and dealing drugs. According to a study done on Denver youth in gangs 85% of the youth committed the violent offenses, 86% of the youth committed the property crimes and 80% of the youth did the drug deals. This study shows how gangs support delinquency so they can use the youth to do all the dirty work. Gang members also tend to own guns and never hesitate to give one to their younger gang members.…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    No one will argue that gangs have become one of our nation’s fastest growing problems within recent history. There is also no doubt that gang membership is increasing by large amounts. According to statistics, females are joining gangs or even worse, forming their own gangs at alarming rates. More important than understanding that females do in fact join gangs is the effort to understand why young women join gangs on continue to closely associated with gangs. Most young girls in gangs live in communities that are ridden with high amounts of violence and unemployment.…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As much as today’s society would like to think that times have completely changed, gender stereotypes still dictate much of the way men and women are treated. More specifically, the way the juvenile justice system has historically treated young women has been consistent with gender bias. Boys are to be aggressive and violent and society expects to be protected from them, while girls are to be passive and well-behaved and society doesn’t expect to need protection from them. Furthermore, when girls misbehave the system is most of the times ill equipped to handle them.…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Peer Influence Essay

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Peer pressure most occurs when adolescents are with their peers especially when it comes to school or social activities. They are intended to do either good or bad behaviors. At adolescence, peer relations expand to occupy a particularly central role in young people’s lives. New types (opposite sex, romantic ties) and levels (crowds) of peer relationships emerge. Peers typically replace the family as the center of a young person’s socializing and leisure activities.…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays