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
What is the Callous-Unemotional Trait Theory? What are the traits?
- Severe chronic patterns of antisocial behaviour
Traits:- Lack of empathy
- Limited capacity for guilt or remorse
- Lack of emotional expression
What does the research say about callous-unemotional trait theory?
- Supports validity and reliability
- Traits of this is predictive of severe aggressive behaviour and
psychopathy
What are the characteristics of successful programs?
- They begin early
- They follow developmental principles
- Focus is on multiple settings and systems
- They acknowledge and respect cultural backgrounds
- They work with/ focus on family first
What are the three classifications of prevention and intervention programs?
- Primary Prevention
- Selective Prevention
- Treatment
What is primary prevention?
- Prevention of delinquent behaviour before it emerges
- Implemented early (school or preschool)
- Reduces risk factors, developing protective factors
- Developing resilience
What are some factors that are incorporated with developing resilience?
- Self-efficacy
- Positive peer relations
- Creativity
- Coherence
What is the purpose of developing resilience?
If we can promote the factors included in resilience, the kids can be better equipped at dealing with things later in life.
What is selective prevention?
- Targets those at risk for delinquency
- Screens high-risk children early in life
- Provides them with skill development
What is the fast track experiment? And what are the two phases?
- Both primary and selective prevention
- Elementary school phase - Involved in family programs, problem
solving skills, emotional skills. - Adolescent phase - School importance, practice skills, help with
self-identity.
What is the treatment approach?
- Social skills training
- Teaching self-regulation skills
- Parent management
- Family support
- Multi-systemic therapy
What are ineffective treatments?
- Boot camps
- Incarceration
- Programs that only focus on one factor
