3.2 Age & Offending

Question 1

What is the peak age of offending?

Answer 1

15 to 18

Question 2

Which gender is more likely to offend?

Answer 2

Young men

Question 3

Are young people over or under represented in the statistics?

Answer 3

Over represented

Question 4

Official statistics show half of all those convicted are aged what?

Answer 4

21 or under

Question 5

A 2002 self report study shows roughly half of Britains secondary school students admitted to what?

Answer 5

Breaking the law

Question 6

Young peoples offences are usually what?

Answer 6

Short lived
Opportunistic
Isolated incidents
Peer related

Question 7

What are common offences by young people?

Answer 7

Under age drinking
Vandalism
Shop lifting

Question 8

How does cohen explain age of offending in relation to status frustration?

Answer 8

Peer group makes up for the lack of status within school or family

Question 9

How might status frustration explain why young people get involved in deviant behaviour and then give it up?

Answer 9

Don’t have job/status their deviant behaviour gives them status among their friends
They give it up as they gain status through qualifications and jobs

Question 10

Miller says working class males are more likely to get involved in criminal behaviour because of what?

Answer 10

Focal concerns of their subculture

Toughness, smartness, trouble, autonomy and excitement

Question 11

Why might focal concerns be more likely to lead young people into trouble with the law?

Answer 11

Peer group conformity

Proving themselves

Question 12

Katz said delinquency is motivated by edgework, what is this?

Answer 12

thrill seeking

Question 13

Katz said edgework applies increasingly to who?

Answer 13

girls and young middle class as well as working class boys

Question 14

Right realists - how would control theory explain criminal behaviour amongst young people?

Answer 14

teens are more interested in peer group than bonds with family and society
weaker bonds, likely to commit crime

Question 15

Matza suggested that young people experience ‘drift’ what is this?

Answer 15

time when they are no longer children but not yet adults

Question 16

what did Matza say about drift?

Answer 16

societies moral bonds are weakened more likely to commit crime

Question 17

Matza said techniques of neutralisation provide evidence that delinquents have what?

Answer 17

same moral views as rest of society and feel guilt over their actions

Question 18

give examples of how techniques of neutralisation link to mainstream values?

Answer 18

‘they deserved it’ - justice

appeal to higher loyalties - protecting family and friends

Question 19

why are young people more likely to be monitored, stopped, questioned, arrested, charged and convicted?

Answer 19

they fit the police stereotype of the typical offender

Question 20

how might the lifestyle of the young give them greater opportunity to commit crime or be a victim of crime?

Answer 20

they go out more - no jobs, stay out longer & later

more likely to be involved in crime