Drug Selling among High School Students - Term Paper Example

Drug Selling among High School Students Introduction The paper focuses on the application of two theories, the Social Bond theory and Social Interactionism theory, on the increasing rates of young individuals who possess and sell drugs, as it has been emphasized by the media. The following sections will first present the findings of an article that focused on drug selling among young individuals as well as related risk behaviors and characteristics. Then, the paper will examine the two theories and discuss their application to explain the occurrence of such criminal activity among young individuals; as such, relevant implications and recommendations can be made as based on the assumptions of these theories. Drug Selling among High School Students In an article presented by Steinman (2005) in a journal on adolescent health, high school students and their tendency to sell drugs was associated with their activities, support systems, and social institutions. For instance, those who were actively involved in school, with their family members as well as other relevant institutions, such as the church, were linked to the development of attitudes and beliefs which gave importance to traditional ideas of fulfillment and success. On the other hand, adolescents who were not involved in such groups tend to establish an oppositional identity that is focused more on autonomy and unusual objectives. Exposure to older individuals who use and sell drugs as well can further increase the likelihood for the individual to do the same. In addition, growing up in neighborhoods that provided few opportunities for employment and success was indicated as a contributing factor to drug selling among high school students. Therefore, the more that a person exhibits family involvement, achievement in school, participation in extracurricular activities, and church attendance, the less likely that he becomes involved with drug selling. The following theories on social interactionism and social bonding can further explain the associations among young individuals’ behavior, their relationships with various groups of people, and their perceptions of what is expected of them. Social Interactionism: An Overview The theory of social interactionism highlights micro-scale social interaction with which an individual behaves towards something based on the meaning which that thing has for him; such meanings are based from social interaction and can be adjusted by means of interpretation. Blumer (1969), who provided the term “symbolic interactionism”, presented three fundamental principles of the theory: first, humans act and behave towards things as based on the meanings which are attributed to those things; second, the meanings of these things is developed through social interaction which an individual experiences with the society; and third, such meanings are dealt with and may be changed by an interpretative process that is applied by the individual when handling things that he comes across with. In relation, meaning can then be referred to as something that the person assigns whereas language is created by means of social interactions. Meanwhile, thoughts can influence his interpretations. As such, researchers who make use of symbolic interactionism explore how individuals generate meaning during social interaction as well as how he creates and presents the self, and how he delineates situations in the presence of others. Fundamentally, people act in a certain way based on their definition of a situation. Social Bond Theory: An Overview The Social Bond Theory was originally developed and proposed in 1969 by Travis Hirschi. It was later on referred to as the Social Control Theory that was aimed to address and explain social problems. Before the effective application of the Social Bond Theory, it is highly important to understand its definition which has been associated with the components of social bonding, such as one’s attachment to families, their dedication to social norms and institutions, participation in activities, as well as the belief that all these things are relevant (Hirschi, 1969). The Social Bond Theory covers a number of theories for explaining social attachment. The concept of attachment has been viewed as a complex process which begins when an individual is born, hence an attachment to his mother. Such early form of attachment lays down the standard for his future to attachments to others, including family members, friends, colleagues at work, and even the spouse. Hirschi (1969) asserted that insecure attachment can be associated with an increased risk of experiencing mental disorders as one progresses on in his life. Certain disorders that are linked to inadequate social bonding include anxiety, depression, and other forms of anti-social behavior. Hirschi (1969) further examined the value of social bonding, allowing his theory to be widely used in the field of criminology with which his theory helped explain the relationship between criminal behavior and lack of social bonding. In addition, the theory of social integration by Durkheim suggested that inadequate social bonding and ineffective integration into society can increase occurrences of anti-social behavior, thereby hampering psychological development (Thorlindsson and Bernburg, 2004). The development of attachments can also serve as an obstruction to deviant behavior. To establish secure bonds with other individuals can support fundamental attributes including sympathy and agreeableness. If an individual develops the ability to experience sympathy, he or she can be less expected to be involved in criminal activities that will cause harm for others. Moreover, an individual that is securely attached is likely to be aware of the concept of respect with which the implementation of respect can be viewed as a social control which tends to prevent impertinent deviant behavior, such as harassment. In addition, a sense of commitment helps establish a strong foundation with commitment to a particular social group or unit can encourage a sense of responsibility, duty and honor. This also provides an individual with a relevant reason to act in conformity with norms and values that are accepted in the society. In relation, a certain degree of involvement plays an important role in people’s wellbeing as isolation from others can result to an increased risk of delusional thinking and other psychological disorders. On the other hand, involvement can reduce one’s feelings of indifference, allowing the individual to obtain a sense of accomplishment. Finally, to share a common belief system, such as religious affiliations, can foster a sense of purpose and reduce occurrences of depression and suicidal tendencies. Application of Theories on Criminal Behavior among the Youth The first theory that emphasized social bonds was based on the General Theory of Crime, making it applicable to examine the criminal activities which young individuals are involved in, including the tendencies to sell drugs. Hirschi (1969) asserted in the social bond theory that there is a lack of social bonding among juvenile delinquents. Because family members, friends, and other members of relevant social groups play an important role in an individual’s life, as a result, they have a considerable influence on his actions. Adolescence is considered as a fundamental stage in life and during this phase, it is critical to establish strong social bonds as a positive representation of the society. On the contrary, if the relationships that are shared are negative and similar to criminal habits, it can be expected that negative outcomes will come about. As earlier mentioned, the social bond theory is associated with four components- attachment or bonding, commitment, participation or involvement in traditional versus criminal activities, and value systems in a person’s subgroup or society. As attachment is associated with the norms and values that a person possesses in the society, it is deemed as highly important especially with regards to the parental figures of the individual. This theory then suggests that attachment to parents and other conventional figures can have a considerable impact on the prevention of criminal behavior among the youth. Additionally, attachment to peers and other significant persons are likely to be as favorable as parental bonds, given that these relations are positive and support social norms. Other attachments, including the school, are also of paramount importance; school has been deemed to focus on upper and middle class involvement and middle class students are likely to demoralize their lower class counterparts. Such treatment may not only directly come from these children but from the educational institution itself as well; consequently, the person may tend to show antipathy towards school at an early age. This form of resentment can also serve as an obstruction to his educational development. Next, the level of commitment is characterized by one’s obligation to act in accordance to legal behavior, as noted by Burton et al. (1995). The values and norms which are learned by an adolescent should place emphasis on his obedience to how society functions in a normal manner. During the early stages of an individual’s life, he is expected to learn how “right” differs from “wrong”. Such understanding can have a significant impact on how he ends up and sets his place in a normal society. For instance, a child that is raised in an environment wherein drugs are used is more likely to be similarly involved in drug-related activities in the future as well. The relationships among a child, the mother, and the father can also be expected to strongly affect the adult life that the young individual may experience. Another component is the choice of the person to participate in either conventional or deviant behavior. Such choice is established once he has learned the principal rules of life. If the “right and wrong” foundation is not established or presented, the adolescent is likely to make a decision that is perceived to be the most sensible. This can also then be associated with the involvement of the family in the young individual’s life. Finally, it has been asserted that if the person has shared common norms and values with a subgroup, he is less likely to demonstrate deviant behavior. On the whole, criminal behavior can be attributed to the existence of social bonds with which the deterioration of such relations and attachments can lead to unusual and unfavorable behavior for an individual. Criminal activities among young individuals can be further explained through the assertions of Hirschi (1969) that, when the person belongs to an unstable group, it is less likely that he will depend on them. Consequently, he begins to depend on himself and does not recognize the traditional rules of conduct, hence an increased focus on self-interests. There have been a number of weaknesses, however, that were found in the assertions of the social bond theory. For instance, in other studies, it was indicated that adolescents who were involved in criminal acts had high levels of involvement which was suggested by Hirschi (1969) to reduce misbehavior. When these young individuals participate in criminal behaviors that are outside of their own homes, it can be expected that there is deterioration in parental control or that these adolescents have increased opportunities in carrying out crimes. It has also been explained by the social bond theory that any form of social attachment can bring about favorable outcomes; on the contrary, it was found out by Hindeland (1973) that establishing connections with delinquent peers increased rather than reduced criminal behavior. Moreover, if the person has family members and peers who demonstrate deviant behavior, this can encourage the young individual to become involved in criminal activities and develop anti-social behavior. The social bond theory has also overlooked the fact the different cultures hold different values and beliefs, and what may be traditional to one may not be acceptable in another. Because connections are stronger in some kinds of lifestyles, the end results in various circumstances may be dissimilar. For instance, the effects of family bonds will lead to different outcomes on different individuals. The theory on symbolic interactionism is based on the philosophical investigation of experience as well as on the conflict theory and subcultural theory (Nelson, 1998). It has been asserted that there is a relationship between the government and the media on one hand, and the less influential groups on the other. The more powerful group has a considerable influence on their less powerful counterparts, particularly in their process of creating meaning (Nelson, 1998). To some extent, the former can enforce their meanings on the less dominant group; consequently, they have the ability to put a label on young individuals who sell drugs as criminals. Most often, these juveniles would frequently engage with the meaning of the label, become more readily involved in selling drugs, and act in accordance with the self-fulfilling perceptions of the more powerful groups. Similar to other behaviors, the activity of selling drugs can be learned by means of interaction; therefore, criminals can be expected to be involved in deviant groups that urge them to break rules and engage in such illegal activity. Being involved in such groups demonstrates to individuals that the process of selling drugs is acceptable as well as teaches the skills in order to become involved. Such crime can also be encouraged through the comparison of others; if other people possess considerable wealth and other material goods which an individual is not able to acquire, he can be urged to be involved in the possession and selling of drugs in order to possess such things. As mentioned, labeling has an adverse effect on an individual; thereby being labeled as a juvenile delinquent will lead a person into adopting such roles of criminal behavior in later life. It has also been questioned by the ineractionists as to who creates the rules regarding criminal behavior owing to the fact that, while some deviant activities are labeled as crimes and are subjected to punishment, others are not. If people can learn criminal acts, then it follows that they can un-learn them as well. Conclusion The identification of the social bond theory along with the theory of symbolic interactionism presents an increased understanding of the role of the society in instigating individual behavior, such as the involvement of the youth in selling drugs. Based on the explanation of the two theories, it can be concluded that more favorable outcomes will be obtained when deviant behavior is acted upon through the establishment positive and helpful connections with important people. Understanding the associations between attachments and criminal behavior can further enable the society in implementing strategies that can help reduce delinquency among the youth. When considerable efforts are made to reduce criminal behavior among young individuals, this can then result to noteworthy outcomes; for example, opportunities and options for employment have been suggested to be helpful, especially for the underprivileged. As a whole, the society must demonstrate an increased effort in supporting family bonds that are shared, thereby positively building up the society all together. Schools also play a crucial role in encouraging and engaging young students in various aspects. In addition, the government can significantly provide its contributions to the improvement of educational institutions, such as those in poverty ridden locations. When children are approached in a helpful and constructive manner at an early stage, it is likely that such efforts will have a stronger influence on them. The media can also have an impact on the behavior of young individuals with which they can show support ideals of nonviolence and favorable teamwork. Because attachment and interaction were emphasized by the two discussed theories as crucial means for bringing about certain behaviors, it can be suggested that more efforts should be placed on helping juveniles avoid the harmful influence of individuals involved in delinquent groups. To integrate young offenders into associations which disapprove of substance use and selling can be helpful as well. All these recommendations emphasize the role of the society as well as social learning in preventing young individuals to make decisions regarding the selling of drugs. Therefore, it can be concluded that both the theory for social bonding and symbolic interactionsim can be applied in examining criminal behavior, particularly drug selling, the young people involved, and the social processes that influence such behavior. References Blumer, H. 1969. Symbolic interactionism; perspective and method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Burton, V., Cullen, F., Evans, D., Dunaway, R.G., Kethineni, S., and Payne, G. 1995. The impact of partial controls on delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice, 23, 111-126. Dowler, K. 2003. Media consumption and public attitudes toward crime and justice: the relationship between fear of crime, punitive attitudes, and perceived police effectiveness. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 10(2), 109-126. Hindeland, M. 1973. Causes of delinquency: a partial replica and extension. Social Problems, 21, 471-487. Hirschi, T. 1969. Causes of delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press. Nelson, L. 1998. Herbert Blumer's symbolic interactionism. Meta discourses: human communication theory. Boulder: University of Colorado. Parker, K., and Ray, M.C. 1990. Fear of crime: an assessment of related factors. Sociological Spectrum, 10, 29-40. Steinman, K. 2005. Drug selling among high school students: related risk behaviors and psychosocial characteristics. Journal of Adolescent Health 36, 1-8. Thorlindsson, T., and Bernburg, J.G. 2004. Durkheim’s Theory of Social Order and Deviance: a Multi-level Test. European Sociological Review, 20 (4), 271-285. Read More