Lecture 5 Flashcards
What are the exceptions to delinquency?
- Status offenses
- Youthful offenders
What is the definition of delinquency?
Behaviour against the criminal code committed by an individual who has not reached adulthood, as defined by the state or federal law. Ages 12-17.
What are status offenses?
- Drinking, skipping school, sexual behaviours, staying out all night.
What are traits of a “serious delinquient?”
- High recidivism
- Wide variety of offenses
- Behaviour began at an early age
What are recidivism rates?
Rearrest rates.
What are the two parts to Moffitt’s Developmental Theory?
- Life-Course Persistent
2. Adolescent limited
In criminality, what are life-course persistent offenders? (Moffitt’s theory)
- Lifelong antisocial behaviour
- Neurological problems (ADHD, FASD, etc)
- Social and academic difficulties
In criminality, what are adolescent-limited offenders? (Moffitts theory)
- Begin in adolescent and stop in adulthood
- Have controlling parents
What is a reason that an adolescent-limited criminality phase would begin?
Lack of maturity, moving, parents divorce, etc.
What are the gender differences in Moffitt’s theory?
Males - Life course persistent while similar for adolescent limited.
Girls association with delinquent peers is a factor.
What is coercion developmental theory?
- Family environment is a key predictor of early-onset delinquency.
What is an example of the coercion developmental theory?
Having temper tantrums to escape discipline may elicit coercive parental responses which further irritate the child. If the parent eventually gives in, the child is reinforced. This then generalizes to other relationships and interactions.
What is the coercion developmental theory?
Early onset vs. Late start
What is the early onset in the coercion developmental theory?
- Begins in preschool years
- Severe inept parenting
- Pronounced levels of social incompetence
What is the late start in coercion developmental theory?
- Begins in middle adolescence
- Inept parenting not severe
- Not as antisocial