Lecture 5 Flashcards
Delinquency
Old-fashined way of talking about youth deviance.
Delinquency is a ___, not a ___ definition.
Legal, sociological.
Examples of delinquent acts:
- Truancy (skipping classes).
- Underage smoking.
- Alcohol.
- Early sexual activity.
- Unwillingness to obey authority figures.
Delinquency includes behaviours that would not be criminal if…
Committed by adults.
The law used to see itself as providing moral guidance for youth. This state taking on the role of the parent is known as…
In loco parentis.
Why was there a reform of how delinquency was dealt with in the 1970’s?
- Wanted to get rid of arbitrary and discriminatory uses of authority.
- There were no set rules, so it was easy to abuse power.
How did the academic community change how they looked at delinquency?
Less concerned about correcting risky behaviour, more concerned about studying what leads to this risky behaviour.
What is wrong with the term “At-Risk Youth”?
- Term is vague, as all youth can be subsumed within the at-risk category.
- Also creates a generation gap between younger and older generations.
It was common in the past to conceptualize adolescence as a transition from…
Beast-like to human/civilized.
Do adolescent interests differ greatly from adult interests?
Not really.
Do parents and teenagers like each other?
Yes.
Do most teenagers live normal lives?
Yes.
True or false? The generation gap is a myth.
True.
Why would the generation gap being a myth change?
- Parents are not home as much.
- It would be the result of a world created by adults, not teenagers.
Most adolescents are risk-takers. True or false?
False.
Sociologists interested in deviant youth tend to focus on ___.
Gangs.
Why do youth engage in risky behaviours?
Some risky behaviours are aimed at making money, but mostly this behaviour is done to gain or defend status.
Deviance occurs in all social classes. However, most evidence can be found among…
Low-income neighbourhoods.
Why do teenagers break rules?
Teenagers typically break rules because they have something to gain and nothing to lose. Rational choice. Contrary to popular belief, it is not irrational or passion-driven.
What gender makes up most of gang members?
Males.
What is a caution that must be taken when studying delinquency?
Not creating too strong of a link between delinquency and criminal acts.
True or false?
- Adults commit well over 50% of crimes in every category under the criminal code.
- Also commit more than 80% of the violent crimes.
True.
Youth are more likely to be the ___ of crime than anything else.
Victims.
Why is youth delinquency a moral panic?
Gap between the reality and the story the media drums up.