Developmental and Environmental Risk Factors - Admission/Application Essay Example

Developmental and Environmental Risk Factors Affiliation: Examine the risk factors and the various protective factors that may mitigate the level of risk.There are several risk factors both environmental and developmental that may lead to criminal behavior. According to Liu (2001), health risk factors during the period of pre, peri and post-natal development poses risk of aggressive behavior in future this in turn leads to criminal activities. These health risks are linked to nutrition, maternal depression, lead exposure, birth complications and even tobacco use during pregnancy and may increase the likelihood of the criminal behaviors among the juveniles.

The other risk factor as proposed by Walsh and Ellis (2006) is that Intelligence Quotient (IQ) contributes to the criminal activities by juvenile delinquents. Even though the involvement is not direct, this risk is brought about by an accumulation of failure in many areas brought about by low IQ leading to a high probability of engaging in criminal behavior. These cumulative factors include but are not limited to: antisocial behavior, lack of education and unemployment.Substance abuse has been researched and verified that it is a risk factor of criminal behavior among the juveniles.

This is common as it is at this age that peer pressure is at peak and hence the use of substance is influenced by peer pressure and so is the engagement into criminal behavior, violence or aggression (Durrant, 2012). This can be protectively mitigated by having rehabilitation to end the substance abuse and then deal with the aggression or violence later. This latter one will be easier once the substance abuse dwindles or completely ends as it was the motivating factor.The protective factor that might mitigate the health risk is proper nutrition in cases of those not pregnant but planning to have children someday, it is important for them to have proper nutrition as well during pregnancy and after the child is born but still breastfeeding (post-natal).

For those already pregnant, it is important to avoid tobacco, any lead contamination or exposure, exercise to reduce stress and lessen birth complication among other protective remedies.As for the low IQ risk, nothing much can be done other than just counseling and therapy for socialization. This will make them reduce their antisocial behavior and therefore reduces chances of aggression as a result of being antisocial. These people can also rely on government to provide disability allowances or even provide menial jobs that are at par with their IQ but which will occupy them and hence reduce much time to think about engaging in aggression or violence or other forms of criminal activities.

Identify any gender differences that impact the salience of these factors.Piccinelli and Wilkinson (2000), explains that there are indeed gender differences in the risk factors that lead to criminal behavior among juveniles. These determinants of these gender differences are however artefactual and more pronounced in females than males. These determinants are brought about by sociocultural roles, depression, anxiety and psychological attributions to vulnerability. These cause the females to develop depressive disorders that make them aggressive and violent and even engaging in other criminal activities.

The society has specific roles for girls which are reproductive and require a lot of energy, time with little or no appreciation and remuneration. This leads to stress once they compare their roles with those of their male friends and siblings and eventually harbor anger within that leads to aggression or depression and may even metamorphose to criminal activities. Females are more vulnerable emotionally than males and hence get stressed and angry quicker than males leading to them engaging in revenge behavior faster too and this qualifies as criminal activity and behavior.

ReferencesDurrant, R. (2012). An Introduction to Criminal Psychology. New York: Routledge.Liu, J. (2011). “Early Health Risk Factors for Violence: Conceptualization, Review of the Evidence, and Implications.” PMC, 16(1):63-73.Piccinelli, M. and Wilkinson, G. (2000). “Gender differences in depression: Critical review.” The British Journal of Psychiatry, 177: 486-492.Walsh, A. and Ellis, L. (2006). Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Approach. New York: SAGE Publications.