1. Theoretical Explanations of Delinquency
Chapter 2
Theoretical Explanations
of Delinquency

2. Prentice Hall © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Schools of Thought
Classical School of Thought
Positivist School of Thought
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3. Classical School of Thought
Human beings are rational and are capable of free-will
Cost-benefit analysis
Individuals are self-serving
Punish the offense rather than the offender
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4. Positivist School of Thought
Look for multiple factors to explain crime
Punish offenders rather than the offense
3 Explanations:
Biological
Sociological
Psychological
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5. 3 Positivist Explanations
Biological
Sociological
Psychological
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6. Biological Explanations
Seeks to explain crime on the basis of form follows function
Caesar Lombroso (1876)—considered Father of Criminology
Criminals are evolutionary throwbacks
Stigmata
3 Groups of Criminals
Born Criminal
Insane Criminal
Criminaloid
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7. Biological Explanations, cont’d.
William Sheldon (1949)
Somatyping
3 Body Types
Endomorphs
Ectomorphs
Mesomorphs
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8. Biological Explanations, cont’d.
Feeblemindedness and crime began to be used.
Increased use of IQ testing was begun.
Recent research suggests that IQ may be linked to delinquency.
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9. Biological Explanations, cont’d.
Twin Studies
Assessed delinquency patterns of twins separated at birth
60-70% of identical twins had similar delinquency patterns
15-30% of fraternal twins had similar delinquency patterns
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10. Biological Explanations, cont’d.
Other Biological Explanations
XYY Chromosomal Patterns
Delivery Complications
Frontal Lobe Dysfunction
Reduced Spinal Fluid Levels
Reduced Levels of Autonomic Reactiveness and Poor Conditioning of Autonomic Responses
Nutrition
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11. Psychological Explanations
Based on the Medical Model
Sigmund Freud Psychoanalytic Explanations
Understand the relationship between personality and crime
3 Distinct elements of personality Id
Ego
Superego
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12. Psychological Explanations, cont’d.
Yochelson and Samenow (1977)
Cognitive Based Theories
Identified 52 Thinking Errors
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13. Sociological Explanations
Look to the environment for explanations of crime
6 Theoretical Explanations
Anomie Theory
Anomie/Strain Theory
Labeling Theory
Social Bonding/Control Theory
Differential Association
Developmental Perspectives
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Anomie Theory
Emile Durkeim—”Father of Sociology”
Argued that crime is normal
Normlessness/Anomie
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15. Mertonian Anomie/Strain
Robert Merton
Crime occurs when there is a disjuncture between societally-approved goals and means to achieve those goals.
Humans develop 5 Modes of Adaptation when they are unable to meet both the goals and means.
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5 Modes of Adaptation
Conformity
Innovation
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion
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17. Prentice Hall © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Labeling Theory
The theory holds that if one is part of a group that is deemed undesirable, then regardless of the honesty or “goodness” of one or several of the members, all can be labeled with the same stigmatizing tag.
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Edwin Lemert (1952)
The act of being labeled does not occur with one label.
2 Forms of Deviation
Primary Deviance
Secondary Deviance
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19. Social Bonding/Control Theory
Travis Hirschi (1969)
Juveniles become free to commit delinquent acts when their ties to the conventional social order are severed.
There are 4 dimensions which bond an individual to society. The stronger the bonds, the less likely crime/delinquency will occur.
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20. 4 Social Bonds/Dimensions
Attachment
Commitment
Involvement
Belief
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21. Differential Association
Edwin Sutherland
His theory posits that delinquent values are transmitted from one person to another or from one group to another.
Sutherland put forth 9 Propositions
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22. Developmental Perspective
This perspective addresses the existence and persistence of delinquent behavior over the life course
Pittsburgh Youth Study
Identified 3 major pathways to identifying chronic & serious delinquency
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3 Pathways to Crime
Overt Pathway
Covert Pathway
Authority Conflict Pathway
Difference between persisters and experimenters
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24. 3 Distinct Characteristics of Prevention and Treatment Programs
Early Intervention
Comprehensive Interventions
Long-term Interventions
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25. 3 Areas That Need to Be Addressed by a Comprehensive Program
Programs should address the multiple risk factors of youth.
Chronic offenders appear to have co-occurring problem behaviors, therefore, programs should address multiple problems.
Programs must address protective factors.
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Drugs and Crime
The issue of drugs and crime permeates the criminal justice system.
The Drug Use Forecasting Program (1996) indicated that 79% of all arrestees showed a positive for any drug.
In % of all juvenile offenses were for a drug-related offense.
In 2002 ADAM found that 60% of male and 45.9% of female juvenile detainees tested positive for drugs.
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27. Connection Between Drugs & Crime
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics the following report committing crimes for drugs:
10% of federal prisoners
17% of state prisoners
13% all convicted jail inmates
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28. Implications for Tax Dollars
It is important to understand the connection between theory and delinquency.
We must understand programs that work to diminish the possibility of investing in programs that don’t work.
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