Theories For Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile Delinquency Theories There are many thoughts as to why juveniles become delinquent. Some believe that it is due to: violence/abuse, peer pressure, social media, poverty, children raising children, drug and alcohol abuse, choice, foster care system, poor education, medication, bullying, violent games, genetics, and government agency failure. While some of these theories have been accepted and proven, some have not. Why do some juveniles become delinquent while others do not and are obey the law? There are many theories to support juvenile delinquency. One explanation to explain juvenile delinquency is that of choice. People behave the way they do because of free will. The rational choice theory or choice theory, previously …show more content…
The social bond ties people to the institutions and processes of society. Four main elements tie a person with society: attachment to parents, peers, and schools; commitment to activities like getting an education; involvement in activities like sports and school; belief in values like sensitivity to the rights of others and respect for the legal system. If any of these parts are weakened, kids feel it is okay to break the law. Youth who are detached from the educational experience are at risk for criminality. Kids who do well and are committed to school are less likely to get involved in deviant peer groups and less likely to engage in criminal activities. There is extensive literature linking delinquency to poor school performance and inadequate educational facilities. Kids who feel like teachers do not care, who think of themselves as failures, and who drop out of school are more likely to become involved in delinquency than juveniles who are successful in education. Psychologically troubled youth do poorly in school and school failure leads to delinquency. Many children are at risk for educational problems, school failure, and delinquency. Dropout rates remain high but have been in decline. Some experts have discovered an association between dropping out and delinquency, but the nature and degree of the relationship is still uncertain. Whether they drop out or not, kids who do poorly in school are at risk for delinquent behavior; students who are chronic underachievers in school are among the most likely to be delinquent. In fact, researchers find that school failure is a stronger predictor of delinquency than variables such as economic class membership, racial or ethnic background, or peer-group relations. Studies that compare the academic records of delinquents and nondelinquents—including their scores on standardized tests, failure rate, and other academic measures—have