Anti-Social Behavior among Youth across the Globe - Research Paper Example

Criminology Introduction: Anti-social behaviour among youth across the globe has increased significantly over the past couple of decades resulting in increased concerns and generating wide spread demand regarding implementation of appropriate and effective response strategies and policy decisions to counter and prevent its further growth. There have been increased incidences of violent crimes and acts of hostilities involving youth from across the nation. Such increased involvement of youth in various types of crimes has generated severe response from the media, the government, researchers, as well as scholars and policy makers alike (Burfeind and Bartusch, 2011; Siegel and Welsh, 2011). According to research findings regarding Crime victimisation, youth offenders and youth victims it was found that physical assault was one of the most common form of assault experienced by the young population during the period 2009 – 2010. The average age of youth offenders was estimated to be between 10 and 24 years for the year 2009 - 2010 in Australia (ABS, 2012). Studies have indicated that juvenile delinquency undergo change over time and that only some offenders continue to indulge in criminal activities during their adulthood (Elrod & Ryder, 2011; Burnfeind & Bartusch, 2011). Some researchers have indicated that such change in criminal behaviour is observed due to various factors such as change in life circumstances, or a mere change in neighbourhood, or due to transition from adolescence to adulthood, increase / improvement in stability, etc (Laub & Sampson, 2003; Piquero et al., 2005). Also it is observed and consistently substantiated through research that those who choose to lead deviant lifestyles often fall victim to violent crimes against them, thus indicating the role of deviant lifestyles on the increased risk of victimization (Nofziger, 2009). The adult community has historically been overly concerned regarding the attitudes and behaviour of the young population in the society and its implications on their communities. The fears of rising crime rates tends to threaten the harmonious environment and acts a barrier towards the establishment of a peaceful, safe, and favourable social environment. This essay on juvenile delinquency aims to discuss various key issues concerning the various common forms of youth crimes, the factors which influence such behaviour among the adolescents, and the issue of persistent juvenile offenders in general. Common forms of youth crimes: According to available statistics some of the most common forms of youth crimes include substance abuse, alcohol related crimes, physical assault, robbery, theft, breaking and entering, vandalism and motor vehicle theft, trading in stolen goods, fraud and /or forgery etc among many others. The same are discussed in brief in the following section: Substance and alcohol abuse: Substance abuse has been largely acknowledged and identified as one of the key contributing factors of juvenile crimes. According to a research conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology, Alchold, drugs and crime it was observed that over 71 per cent of young people aged between 11 and 17 years were sentenced or detained on account of substance abuse. One third of the juveniles acknowledged participation in criminal activities after consumption of alcohol and drug abuse. Cannabis was identified as the most common type of substance used regularly by about 63 per cent of the young offenders while alcohol related crimes accounted for 46 per cent. Buying drugs was recorded as the most self-reported and regular forms of crime acknowledged by 76 per cent of the young population (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2005). Physical assault: Recent reports indicate a drastic rise in knife crimes among youngsters in Australia. According to Andrew Scipione, a NSW Police Commissioner, such drastic rise in crime rates involving physical assault by young children and adolescents can be attributed to violent video games leading to increased incidences of theft, rape, and even murder (The Telegraph, 2012). Children as young as ten and twelve years are now increasingly found to be resorting to violent acts against their peers and guns and knives have now found its way into school classrooms. The shocking stabbing incident at Brisbanes St. Patricks College a couple of years ago, where a young school boy aged twelve was brutally stabbed by a thirteen year old fellow student (The Telegraph, 2010), indicates the gravity of the issue and the alarming trend of violence among young children. Robbery: A significant rise in robberies and violent crimes was recorded in the year 2009 among youngsters between the age of 10 and 17 years. Statistics indicate that the incidences of robbery and other aggressive acts of hostilities committed by adolescents and young children have increased with at least one incident of robbery committed every two minutes. Of the total 6669 cases of robbery more than 30 were committed by children as young as ten years of age (Daily Mail, 2009). Breaking and entering: Australia has one of the highest rates of break-and-enter in the world, according to the United Nations, preceded by New Zealand. Young children and adolescents form a major chunk of the offenders involved in such crimes. Studies indicate that of the total 2848 break and enter crimes recorded in New South Wales in the year 2010; approximately 970 of such crimes were presented before the Childrens Court. Over half of those accused comprised of children (NSW Government Attorney General & Justice, 2011) indicating the increasing involvement of young children in criminal activities. Vandalism & motor vehicle theft: Property crime is also one of the most oft committed crimes by young offenders. According to a study conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics regarding crime and safety it was observed that young males between the age of 14 and 20 years were identified as the majority of offenders involved in motor vehicle theft while the younger age groups comprised a smaller yet substantial section involved in such criminal activities (CrimePrevention.gov.au, 2012). Influence of adolescent development and the factors associated with this period of the life course: There has been an increased interest in understanding and analyzing the various factors which lead to delinquent behaviour among young children and adolescents. Various studies have emerged over the years indicating the role and influence of adolescent development period on involvement of children and youth in anti-social behaviour and participation in criminal activities. According to Steinberg (2008) most young offenders are highly likely to desist from crime with age, as they attain emotional and psychological maturity (qtd. in Hess & Drowns, 2009: 414). The developmental stage in adolescence refers to a period of maturation which is signified by a high level of emotional stress and change. During this period children and adolescents undergo significant changes in various internal and external environmental factors leading them to embark on a search to redefine themselves, understand their personal values, acquire necessary competencies for taking on adult roles such as problem solving and decision making etc. Such processes expose them to a wide array of behaviours, attitudes and activities. It is on account of such drastic changes taking place during this period, the developmental stage is often referred to as a period of "storm and stress" (Burnfeind and Bartusch, 2011: 276). The key factors affecting and triggering change among the children and adolescents during the developmental stage include inadequate parenting, personal traits and characteristics, physical health (such as the presence of neurocognitive problems, temperamental issues, or other behavioural issues faced by them) etc. (Moffitt and Caspi, 2001). It is also estimated that most people tend to move on from their criminal past as they mature, thus indicating that the crime rates tend to peak during adolescence and decline at the onset of adulthood. According to a study conducted by Farrington et al., (2001) it was observed that young boys who were exposed to a criminal environment from early age were highly likely to display antisocial behaviour. The study indicated a direct relationship between inter-relationships of the young offenders and the criminal background of their immediate family members. Another key factor influencing juvenile delinquency is the impact of peer relations and sociological background to which individuals are exposed. Studies indicate that there is a high risk of adults participating in criminal activities if they spend maximum time with their delinquent friends and/or spend most of their time in unfruitful activities and unstructured socializing with friends (Haynie and Osgood, 2005). It is estimated that maltreatment of individuals during childhood often leads to delinquent behaviour during adolescence. Various studies conducted over the years have indicated a strong relationship between juvenile delinquency and child maltreatment thus indicating that maltreatment of children often results in increased antisocial behaviour among them (Hamilton, Falshaw & Browne, 2002; Smith and Thornberry, 1995; Weatherburn and Lind, 1997). Studies have indicated a strong relationship between age and crime. However such behaviour differs widely across genders (Fagan & Western, 2005). Similar observations were made by Farrington (1996) who stated that there is a universally observed trend regarding the age profile of juvenile offenders which indicates that the prevalence of criminal activities and anti social behaviour is lower during childhood, peaks during adolescence and subsides during the onset of adulthood. According to Livingstone et al., (2008) the juvenile offenders usually can be characterised into three distinct categories i.e. early peaking-moderate offenders whereby the age profile of the offenders was found to have peaked at the age of 14 years and decline later on; late onset-moderate offenders comprising of offenders who barely displayed any criminal tendencies during their early adolescent years however a gradual rise in criminal activities was observed around the age of 16 years; and chronic offenders comprising of young offenders who displayed criminal tendencies at the early onset on the developmental cycle followed by a sharp rise in the later years. Adolescence is a period marked by a significant rise in high risk activities along with anti social behaviour, such as smoking, consumption of alcohol (under-age drinking), substance abuse etc (McVie and Bradshaw, 2005). Such deviant behaviour is a result of lack of decision making ability and the ability to endure challenging and emotionally stressful situations. The situation is worse for individuals who belong to troubled background such as broken homes or families with relatives who are involved in criminal activities (Steinberg, 2008). Such drastic change and/ or fluctuations in behaviour among young children and adolescents is a consequence of continuous changes taking place in the brain anatomy. During this phase the adolescents are highly vulnerable to their external environment due to hormonal and biological changes, thus affecting their bonds with those around them. Exposure to negative environments is hence highly likely to result in increased participation of young children and adolescents in criminal activities and antisocial behaviour. However, this vulnerability is reduced with age and hence there is a fall in criminal tendencies during the onset of adulthood. Studies indicate that the drop in vulnerability and increase in ability to critically analyze their self-behaviour is caused by the development of pre-frontal cortex which is known to fully mature only during late adolescence. Such development prevents impulsive behaviour and improves decision making ability resulting in rational thinking followed by a sharp fall in negative or anti social behaviour (Steinberg, 2008). Persistent juvenile offenders: However some juvenile offenders are identified as persistent offenders. One of the key causes of persistent juvenile offending is the fact that such children are highly likely to be suffering from some form of neuropsychological defects caused due to exposure to dysfunctional family backgrounds, inconsistent or lack of interaction between the parent and the child, etc (Sun, 2012). Similar observations have been made by Siegel and Welsh (2011) which indicate that persistent juvenile offenders tend to suffer from various personal, social, environmental, and developmental setbacks resulting in lack of intellectual development which in turn prevents them from rational thinking and obstructs their ability to think objectively. This condition is known to be aggravated if the social background is unfavourable such as constant parental conflicts, alcohol abuse, unemployment, poverty etc. Conclusion: Criminal activity and / or anti social behaviour is a direct consequence of an imbalance and interplay of nature and nurture. Youth culture is influenced and shaped by the media representations of crime and criminal activities and the socio-cultural environment to which individuals are exposed. Juvenile delinquency is one such manifestation of a constantly evolving society. It is imperative for the law enforcement agencies and policy makers to ensure that effective socially conscious policies are introduced in schools as well as in the society, to discourage the trend and safeguard the future of youth. References: Burfeind, J., Bartusch, D. J., (2011). Juvenile delinquency: An integrated approach. London, UK : Jones & Bartlett Publishers, p. 66-68 Elrod, R., Ryder, S., (2011). Juvenile justice: A social, historical, and legal perspective. London, UK : Jones & Bartlett Publication, p. 31-33 Fagan, A., Western, J., (2005). Escalation and deceleration of ofending behaviours from adolescence to early adulthood. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 38 (1): p. 59 - 76 Farrington, D.P., Jolliffe, D., Loeber, R., Stouthamer-Loeber, M. and Kalb, L.M. (2001). The concentration of offender in families, and family criminality in the prediction of boys’ delinquency, Journal of Adolescence, 24: p. 579-596. Farrington, D. P., (1996). Delinquency and crime: Current theories. Cambridge University Press. Hamilton, C. E., Falshaw, L., Browne, K. D., (2002). The link between recurrent maltreatment and offending behaviour. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparitive Criminology, Vol. 46 (1): p. 75-94 Haynie, D. L., Osgood, D. W., (2005). Reconsidering peers and delinquency: How do peers matter? Social Forces, 84 (2): p. 1109 - 1130 Laub, J. H., Sampson, R. J., (2003). Shared beginnings, divergent lives: Delinquent boys to age 70. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Livingstone, M., Stewart, A., Allart, T., Ogilvie, J., (2008). Understanding juvenile offending trajectories. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 41 (3): p. 345 - 363 McVie, S., Bradshaw, P., (2005). Adolescent smoking, drinking, and drug use. Center for Law and Society. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh. Moffitt, T.E. and Caspi, A. (2001) Childhood predictors differentiate life-course persistent and adolescence-limited antisocial pathways among males and females, Development and Psychopathology, 13, 355-375 Nofziger, S. (2009). Deviant lifestyles and violent victimization at school. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 24(9), 1494-1517 Piquero, N. L., Gover, A., MacDonald, J., Piquero, A., (2005). The influence of delinquent peers on delinquency: Does gender matter? Youth and Society, 36 (3): p. 251-275 Siegel, L. J., Welsh, B. C., (2011). Juvenile delinquency: Theory, practice, and law. Belmont, CA : Cengage Learning Publication, p. 627-629 Smith, C., Thornberry, T., (1995). The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent involvement in delinquency. Criminology, Vol. 33 (4): p. 451-481 Steinberg (2008) qtd. in Hess, K. M., Drowns, R. W., (2009). Juvenile justice. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning Publication, p. 414-415 Steinberg, L., (2008). A social neuroscience perspective on adolescent risk-taking. The Development Review, 28 (1): p. 78-106 Sun, K., (2012). Correctional conseling: A cognitive growth perspective. Burlington, MA : Jones & Bartlett Publishers, p. 49-50 Weatherburn, D., Lind, B., (1997). Social and Economic Stress, Child Neglect and Juvenile Delinquency, New South Wales Bureau ofCrime Statistics and Research, Sydney ABS (2012). Australian Bureau of Statistics [Online] Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/1301.0Main+Features742012 [Accessed: December 17, 2012] Australian Institute of Criminology (2005). Substance abuse a factor in juvenile crime. [Online] Available at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media/2005/october/20051027.html [Accessed: December 17, 2012] Crime Prevention.gov.au (2012). Property Crime [Online] Available at: http://www.crimeprevention.gov.au/Informationresources/Documents/Property_Crime_Module.htm [Accessed: December 17, 2012] Daily Mail (2009). A decade of delinquency: Teen robberies, violence and drug crime soar to record levels. [Online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1159834/A-decade-delinquency-Teen-robberies-violence-drug-crime-soar-record-levels.html [Accessed: December 18, 2012] NSW Government Attorney General & Justice, (2011). Background paper: Residential break and enter [Online] Available at: http://www.crimeprevention.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/cpd/m660001l2/break%20and%20enter%20background%20paper.pdf [Accessed: December 17, 2012] The Telegraph (2012). Violent video games incite kids to crime, says Scipione [Online] Available at: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/violent-video-games-incite-kids-to-crime-says-scipione/story-fn7y9brv-1226443402160 [Accessed: December 18, 2012] The Telegraph (2010). School stabbing victim revealed - 12 year old Elliot Fletcher [Online] Available at: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/school-stabbing-victim-revealed-12-year-old-elliott-fletcher/story-e6freuy9-1225830684054 [Accessed: December 17, 2012] Read More