III. Juvenile Delinquency (5-7 pages)
A. Theories of Delinquency
Juveniles are defined as youth who range from as young as the age of nine until the age of eighteen who take part in illegal criminal behavior. Identifying the reasons behind why adolescents engage in crime is difficult. Studying theoretical explanations of gang formation is crucial because the way a particular agency, governing body, or community views a gang has a great impact on the programs and types of law enforcement used in relation to them (Delaney, 2006). In his book, Delaney (2006) states theories are integrated explanatory schemes that predict relationships between two or more phenomena. They provide rational foundations to account for or explain things and …show more content…
It was Cesare Beccaria who developed the classical school of thought. His theory revolved around the notion of free will and that humans were free to choose their own courses of action as well as make rational decisions. He believed that people could either follow the rules or choose to be aberrant. Therefore, a juvenile is free to choose whether to commit a crime or not. Jeremy Bentham was another important contributor to the school of thought. He was an English philosopher who promoted the idea that humans seek pleasure and avoid pain in their activities, it is an idea also known as hedonism. Delany (2006) states the basic tenants of the classical school are: (1) an emphasis on free will choices and the human rational (2) a view of behavior as hedonistic (3) a focus on morality and responsibility (4) a concern with political structure and the way in which the government deals with its citizens (5) a concern for the basic rights of all people (as cited in Williams and McShane, 2994, pg.24). When applied to criminal justice, these generic ideas and concerns produce the concepts of deterrence, civil rights, and due process of law. In the perspective of the classical school all behaviors are freely engaged upon and therefore the judicial system purely needs to find a way to make crime unpleasant so that individuals think twice before violating society’s …show more content…
Positivists focus on criminal behavior and promote protocols that can lead to the prevention or treatment of offenders (Delany, 2006). Cesare Lombroso is credited for the start of the positive school. He is known for his idea that some people are to deflect from society’s norm and beyond doubt commit crime. Lombroso’s beliefs included the idea that criminals possessed a certain physical appearance and could be labeled a criminal or deviant because of how they
A. Theories of Delinquency
Juveniles are defined as youth who range from as young as the age of nine until the age of eighteen who take part in illegal criminal behavior. Identifying the reasons behind why adolescents engage in crime is difficult. Studying theoretical explanations of gang formation is crucial because the way a particular agency, governing body, or community views a gang has a great impact on the programs and types of law enforcement used in relation to them (Delaney, 2006). In his book, Delaney (2006) states theories are integrated explanatory schemes that predict relationships between two or more phenomena. They provide rational foundations to account for or explain things and …show more content…
It was Cesare Beccaria who developed the classical school of thought. His theory revolved around the notion of free will and that humans were free to choose their own courses of action as well as make rational decisions. He believed that people could either follow the rules or choose to be aberrant. Therefore, a juvenile is free to choose whether to commit a crime or not. Jeremy Bentham was another important contributor to the school of thought. He was an English philosopher who promoted the idea that humans seek pleasure and avoid pain in their activities, it is an idea also known as hedonism. Delany (2006) states the basic tenants of the classical school are: (1) an emphasis on free will choices and the human rational (2) a view of behavior as hedonistic (3) a focus on morality and responsibility (4) a concern with political structure and the way in which the government deals with its citizens (5) a concern for the basic rights of all people (as cited in Williams and McShane, 2994, pg.24). When applied to criminal justice, these generic ideas and concerns produce the concepts of deterrence, civil rights, and due process of law. In the perspective of the classical school all behaviors are freely engaged upon and therefore the judicial system purely needs to find a way to make crime unpleasant so that individuals think twice before violating society’s …show more content…
Positivists focus on criminal behavior and promote protocols that can lead to the prevention or treatment of offenders (Delany, 2006). Cesare Lombroso is credited for the start of the positive school. He is known for his idea that some people are to deflect from society’s norm and beyond doubt commit crime. Lombroso’s beliefs included the idea that criminals possessed a certain physical appearance and could be labeled a criminal or deviant because of how they