Posted: July 14th, 2022

Compare and Contrast individual and sociological theories of juvenile delinquency

Compare and contrast individual and sociological theories of juvenile delinquency., economics and psychology) with sociological theories. Note that anomie, subculture and differential opportunity theory are all sociological ones.
Compare and Contrast individual and sociological theories of juvenile delinquency.
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Theories of Juvenile Delinquency
Several theories explaining juvenile delinquency exist, categorized into the individual and sociological theories of juvenile delinquency. The individual theories focus on the offender’s mental processes and behavioral reactions. They state that each individual will react to their environmental and social circumstances distinctively. While different persons will be facing a similar set of conditions, one chooses to abide by the law. In contrast, another chooses to engage in antisocial or violent behavior to satisfy their individual needs. The two individual theories of juvenile delinquency that the rational choice theory and the trait theories. As will be seen from the two theories, the choice theory Will perceive the delinquents as rational and self-serving decision-makers. Conversely, the trait theory considers delinquent decisions to be the byproduct of uncontrollable personal traits. For the choice expert, a reduction in the benefits of crime through an increase in the possibility of punishment is an effective way of reducing crime.
The rational choice theory has been founded on the fundamental principles of classical criminology, which indicate that individuals will freely choose their conduct and be motivated by pain-avoidance and pursuing pleasure (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, 2016). The central postulation, in theory, is that individuals are rational beings whose conduct can be controlled or modified by the fear of punishment. The rational choice theory does avail a micro-perspective on why a young offender chooses to commit particular crimes. They do so due to the rewards, the ease in committing it, the satisfaction, and the fun levels. The rational choice theory holds that young individuals will engage in delinquent and criminal conduct after considering their respective actions’ consequences and benefits. Delinquent conduct is a rational choice made by the motivated offender who has assessed that the chances of gaining surpass the possible losses or punishments. Juvenile delinquents will violate the law due to various delinquent motives such as economic needs and opportunity to solve challenges, wrong expectations, and a presented opportunity (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, 2016).
It is prudent to note that juvenile delinquency goes beyond being a function of social ills lacking economic opportunities in family dysfunction. Realistically, many young individuals from wealthy families also violate the laws, with those coming from destitute families being law-abiding. For instance, an initial glance at a drug abuser will have one thinking it is motivated by grinding poverty and being desperate; nonetheless, economic hopelessness cannot be the motivating factor for drug abuse among middle-class users. These Individuals have gained an education above high school. Therefore, their motivation in physical gratification, being accepted by their peers among other social benefits. Their law violations arise despite the affiliated inherent risks attached to drug abuse since they see gaining more pleasure even through the painful experiences. The believers in rational choice theory state that committing particular crimes is majorly personal decisions made from individual decision-making processes (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, 2016).
The second individual theory is that young people will engage in criminal conduct due to the wrong physical or psychological traits governing the behavior choices (Blanco, 2016). Delinquent actions are impulsive or instinctual and not rational choices. In the initial studies, the theory suggested that delinquents will demonstrate physical anomalies that make them biologically and psychologically similar to their primitive ancestors. Notably, the research has morphed into focussing on social factors. Therefore, its believers state that the combination of personal traits and environmental factors leads to behavioral patterns. In relation to the young individuals, experts state that many law-abiding ones have traits keeping them within the conventional society (Blanco, 2016). Conversely, the young people engaging in criminal activity demonstrate the abnormal mental and physical traits influencing their criminal decisions. As they commit their crimes, their conduct is shaped by uncontrollable mental and physical traits.
The second category of sociological theories of juvenile delinquency will mainly focus on the social structural elements believed to generate the criminal behavior or the arenas where socialization leads to the conventional or the criminal values and behavior being propagated. Some form of learning, whether implicitly or explicitly, will occur. This differs from the individual theories since the latter illustrates criminal behavior as being in-born in terms of either the decisions they make or the physical or psychological abnormalities connected to their ancestors. The present experts of trait theory have indicated that environmental factors play a role in juvenile behavior, which is similar to the sociological approaches that indicate that community settings determine whether their youth will increasingly engage in crime or be law-abiding citizens.
The anomie theory is the first sociological theory which states that juvenile delinquency happens due to young individuals lacking the means to make themselves happy. Their objectives are unattainable when following the legal means; hence, they choose an illegal strategy to achieve those objectives. For instance, when the juvenile has an objective of getting an employment opportunity and purchasing a car, it becomes challenging for them to get an employment opportunity that will purchase the car fast and steal one or steal the money to purchase one (“Juvenile Delinquency, Theories”). Its experts indicate that there are effects of the faulty relationship between objectives and the legal strategies of achieving them. An emphasis on two features to the social and cultural structure that the culturally defined objectives such as monetary success and the acceptable ways including education for achieving those goals, while the society has widely shared the success goals, it has not shared the means or opportunities if attaining them. From this theory,m it is also evident why some classes are categorized to be more delinquent. The low classes members are extremely affected by the disparity between objectives and the means of attaining them; hence, they will experience greater rates of delinquent conduct.
The subculture theory on juvenile delinquency indicates that they will look to be validated from a subculture for the juveniles that fail to meet the social standards. The subculture comprises juveniles that have not met the social standards; the groups will act in ways that are not accepted socially and rebel against them (“Juvenile Delinquency, Theories”). Juvenile delinquency is considered an outcome of society. Therefore, the juveniles are committing crimes not because they are social norms but to fit into their subcultures. The children of lower classes and the potential members belonging to the delinquent subculture had initially faced a failure to attain when they missed proper education or respective resources. These children that are always lacking grow a sense of status frustration. Middle-class individuals have the earliest experiences that prepare them to meet the expectations set to their underclass children’s levels. Therefore, a delinquent subculture emerges as the optional set of criteria or values that the underclass adolescents look to attain.
The differential opportunity theory indicated that in understanding the distinct forms taken by the delinquent and criminal conduct, it is prudent to look into the different forms of illegal opportunities available to those seeking a way of lower social classes and where the opportunities lead to (“Juvenile Delinquency, Theories”). Distinct community settings lead to distinct subcultural responses: the criminal subculture, a conflict subculture, and the retreatist subculture. Community settings with extensive violence and conflict disrupt the legal and illegal enterprises. The coexistence of these two enterprises has violence restrained. Nonetheless, within the disorganized slum that has the two enterprises not linked, violence will increase uncontrollably, these communities create the conflict subculture. Subsequently, the disorganization leads to a prevalence of adolescent street gangs and their violent activities, leading to an unsafe street with the more profitable crime.

References
“Juvenile Delinquency, Theories.” Encyclopedia of Sociology. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/juvenile-delinquency-theories
Blanco, J. (2016). What Is Juvenile Delinquency? – Definition, Theories & Facts. Retrieved https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-juvenile-delinquency-definition-theories-facts.html#
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. (2016, May 6). Chapter 3: Rational choice and routine activities theory. Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services / Retrieved https://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/professionals/oyap/roots/volume5/chapter03_rational_choice.aspx

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