thinking about juvenile delinquency

Question 1

adult vs. juvenile set of experiences

Answer 1

school, position in society (power), having vs. being dependant, autonomy in life decisions
different experiences result in the belief that juveniles should be treated differently than adults

Question 2

juvenile delinquency (def.)

Answer 2

violations of criminal law by minors, shaped by the definition of ‘minor’ and time/place

Question 3

3 conceptions of juvenile delinquency

Answer 3

socially constructive
normative
critical

Question 4

socially constructed

Answer 4

behaviors are not inherently delinquent or criminal, they’re neutral and become good/bad based on how we define them (sociopolitical & economic factors are constantly evolving)

Question 5

normative

Answer 5

delinquency is caused by biological, psychological, environmental, or social factors that influence individuals/communities

Question 6

critical

Answer 6

critical of the existing social system, saying systems create norms of oppression and our explanations of delinquency come from a white, male, middle-class understanding of society since they hold power and create policies to enforce that power

Question 7

3 categories of norms

Answer 7

folkways - everyday norms, violations are not bad
mores - moral norms, violations show a lack of morality
laws - strongest norms, violations met with legal action

Question 8

7 key areas of well-being (America’s Children)

Answer 8

family & social environment
economic circumstances
healthcare
physical environment & safety
behavior
education
health

Question 9

economic circumstances

Answer 9

• % of kids living in poverty is decreasing
• likelihood of children living in poverty is strongly tied to race & ethnicity

Question 10

physical environment & safety

Answer 10

• decrease in % of kids living in polluted areas
• leading cause of death for children is unintentional injuries
• violent crime victimization rates for youth has remained consistent ‘10-‘19

Question 11

behavior

Answer 11

• juvenile violent crime offending rate is trending down
• juvenile offenses are more likely than adult ones to include at least one other person

Question 12

education

Answer 12

• educational attainment has been increasing (diploma/GED) for all ethnic & racial groups

Question 13

cradle-to-prison pipeline

Answer 13

the many issues for children that make it more likely that they will become incarcerated in their lifetime
- pervasive poverty (driving force)
- healthcare access
- gaps in early childhood development
- educational disparties
- unmet emotional & mental needs
- abuse & neglect
- substance abuse
- ineffective & overburdened educational & juvenile justice systems

Question 14

cradle-to-prison pipeline risk demographic

Answer 14

black children, boys especially, have much higher chances of going to prison