Juvenile delinquency is an umbrella term that characterizes a variety of illegal behaviors committed by minors. The majority of these illegal behaviors are referred to as status offenses, or offenses that are only considered illegal because the perpetrator is underage. One pattern of deviant behavior that is very prominent among juveniles is partaking in risky sexual behaviors, particularly when alcohol or illicit drugs are involved. These risky behaviors most often include having sex with multiple partners, engaging in anal sex, engaging in sexual activity without the use of contraception, and not having themselves or their partners tested for sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). While it is not illegal for a teenager to have sex under
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Researchers also attempted to account for gender differences in these associations. “Participants were 257 adolescents (mean age = 15.96) assessed three times over an 18-month period” (Duncan et al. 1999). Assessment results demonstrated a significant relationship between the use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and risky sexual behavior (Duncan et al. 1999). More specifically, the development of cigarette use was found to correlate positively with engaging in risky sexual behaviors. In their assessment, researchers were not able to find any significant differences between male and female participants as it related to the associations between substance use and risky sexual behaviors (Duncan et al. …show more content…
Two of the primary propositions made by Sutherland contend that deviance is learned over time through interaction with others, and that this learning takes place within intimate primary social groups. According to Sutherland, this learning involves techniques of behavior, and motives and rationalizations, the direction of which are learned from definitions of legal codes. Sutherland hypothesizes that increased exposure to definitions favorable to deviance will increase the likelihood that the individual being exposed will engage in deviant behavior. Sutherland also contends that learning varies by priority, or how early in life exposure to definitions occurs; frequency, or how often exposure to definitions occurs; duration, or how long an individual is exposed to definitions; and intensity, or the prestige of the definition’s
Researchers also attempted to account for gender differences in these associations. “Participants were 257 adolescents (mean age = 15.96) assessed three times over an 18-month period” (Duncan et al. 1999). Assessment results demonstrated a significant relationship between the use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and risky sexual behavior (Duncan et al. 1999). More specifically, the development of cigarette use was found to correlate positively with engaging in risky sexual behaviors. In their assessment, researchers were not able to find any significant differences between male and female participants as it related to the associations between substance use and risky sexual behaviors (Duncan et al. …show more content…
Two of the primary propositions made by Sutherland contend that deviance is learned over time through interaction with others, and that this learning takes place within intimate primary social groups. According to Sutherland, this learning involves techniques of behavior, and motives and rationalizations, the direction of which are learned from definitions of legal codes. Sutherland hypothesizes that increased exposure to definitions favorable to deviance will increase the likelihood that the individual being exposed will engage in deviant behavior. Sutherland also contends that learning varies by priority, or how early in life exposure to definitions occurs; frequency, or how often exposure to definitions occurs; duration, or how long an individual is exposed to definitions; and intensity, or the prestige of the definition’s