CUNY Theories of Why Juveniles Commit Delinquent Acts Discussion Replies

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Response to Discussion board:

“The third chapter focuses on the theories of why juveniles commit delinquent acts, which theory can best be used towards delinquent behavior, the different models that are used to deal with juvenile offenders and lastly the prevention/intervention programs that are being used today. The first half of the chapter was a refresher for me as it connected to other classes and reminded me of some of the theories that are used to explain why people commit violent and in this case delinquent acts. One of those theories was classical theory. This theory, according to Merlo and Benekos (2019), determines that individuals are rational thinkers who because of free will have a choice between good and evil. Furthermore those that commit criminal acts do so because they are motivated by a personal need or greed. Two other theories that were refreshers were social learning theory and labeling theory. According to Merlo and Benekos (2019) social learning theory implies that juveniles learn how to behave from significant others like parents or other adults like teachers and peers. For example violent home environments may expose and cause some youth to exhibit antisocial and aggressive behavior. Labeling theory on the hand according to Merlo and Benekos (2019) alludes to the fact that individuals define themselves as deviant after others have labeled them so. For example Merlo and Benekos (2019) note that this labeling process can start as soon as the first contact between a juvenile and law enforcement. After this experience with law enforcement some juveniles may start to see themselves as delinquent and continue down the path of offending. Besides these theories the models on how to deal with offending juveniles was an interesting section to read. One of the models was the rehabilitation model. This model, according to Merlo and Benekos (2019), benefits juveniles who have offended for the first time. Officers in this model seek to level with the juvenile and attempt to assist the juvenile in realizing their wrong and in turn avoid offending again. The opposite model of this is the crime model which is a more punitive model. Instead of trying to provide rehabilitation like the model of the same name, this model revolves around the idea that the only way to deal with persistent juvenile offenders is to incarcerate them. Another interesting model is the Sanctuary model which focuses on providing care for children who commit delinquent acts that are rooted in childhood trauma and abuse. This model, according to Merlo and Benekos (2019), seeks to help juveniles address and resolve their trauma which can lead from an unstabilized behavior to a stable one. This model is on track with that of the rehabilitation model where we focus on addressing the issues these juveniles have instead of burying and worsening it under punitive measures. “

“Last semester, I actually took Criminology 101 so reading this chapter was basically a summary of the whole class. It was actually my favorite class so far, so it was refreshing to reread the material again. When I took that class, we read through all the theories on criminal behavior. I came to the conclusion that it is not just classical, biological, or sociological theories. But they are all added together. I explain it like this: There is no one moment in my life that shaped me into the person I am today. It was a combination of many moments and my genetics. I believe the same goes for criminal behavior.

  ”  I fully believe that people are aware of the weight of their actions and the consequences that come from those actions. Society has an obligation to establish what those consequences are. The consequences, whether it be fines, jail time, or even death prevent people from committing crimes. I still believe that people have free will to make their own choices; however, they may have some biological factors that push them to that choice. I also believe that psychological theories can play a factor, whether it be mental conditions or childhood development. It is also important to take into account that criminal behavior can also be a learned behavior. If a child learns that certain behaviors are normal, they will begin to emulate those same behaviors.The class I took last semester only applied these theories to adults. Now that I am looking at these theories through the lens of juveniles, it gets way more complicated. I think it is hard to assign the classical theory to juveniles. Depending on age, some children do not understand the weight of their actions. From my own experience, I have memories from the age of three and up. But I really do not remember being in “control” of my actions until I was around 8 years old, if that makes sense.  As for how to handle delinquents, I am for the rehabilitation and treatment model. I am against the other models, specifically the noninterventionist model. I think the rehab and treatment models help give children a guide for their behavior, such as having good role models, and if mental health is an issue, they can treat that. I think the noninterventionist model is the worst because if children are left to their own accord, the behavior could continue to worsen. I think the other models focus too much on crime, and leave the children feeling like all they are criminals. However, the restorative justice model can beneficial if all parties are willing participants.”