Juvenile Delinquency - Essay Example

Juvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency Many sociologists have tried to explain the right perspective of viewing who should be responsible for the commitment of crime using different theories. However, all these theories explain why crime exists in the current world. One of the biggest debates is whether the individual or the society is responsible. Individuals are responsible for personal behavior, since they opt for crime rather than any other law-abiding courses of action. In addition, people are finally responsible to the whole community of which they form part of, so if such persons do not act responsibly towards the society, they ought to be held accountable by the law (Schmalleger, 2010).

Both the individual and the society are to be blamed for crime commission because as much as an individual may or may not wish to commit a crime, there must be some reasons for him to do so, most of which are based on social issues. Juvenile delinquency can be explained using different theories that try to illustrate why minors engage in illegal behaviors. Theories that have been put forth to support the concept of why minors engage in criminal activities includes differential association theory, strain theory, rational choice theory, and labeling theory (Schmalleger, 2010).

I believe rational choice theory can be used to explain the behaviors of young offenders. This theory is based upon the argument that every person has a capability of using his intelligent thinking when committing any crime. Similarly, social behavior is an antagonism of a sequence of behavioral acts that are influenced by rational people. This indicates that Justin’s criminal acts are because of particular beliefs and values of the society. Further, juveniles often calculate the gains or the costs to be incurred when they engage in criminal activity (Schmalleger, 2010).

Due to this, they decide to commit the crime because there is a possibility to maximize the gains or the general utility process. For instance, they decide to participate in gang activity in order to get money to assist their families (Schmalleger, 2010). There is a supposition that all actors are quite conscious of the means and the values needed to carry out a crime. They first gather, organize, and analyze data so that they can come up with the most practical options. They examine the choices available around them, a process that is then interpreted into the whole society.

In this case, it is imperative that Justin is advised that criminal behaviors are illegal and if caught, the consequences are severe. With this in mind, Justin would restrain from engaging in illegal activities (Schmalleger, 2010). However, despite the explanation about crime causation among juveniles, I think they should be held to the same accountability standards as adults. It is rational that the U.S recognizes children protection and treatment but It allows for equal punishment and treatment just as adults since juveniles engage in crime knowing possibility of punishment.

ReferenceSchmalleger, F. (2010). Criminology today: An integrative introduction. New York, NY: Cengage.