Youth Offending. Theoretical and conceptual analysis - Essay Example

Critically review why and how you might need to address structural and political factors in order to empower, transform and improve the situation of Youth Offending 1. Introduction Sociology approaches the subject of youth offending from a number of perspectives. The traditionalist theory onwards up to the Marxian theory youth offending is considered to be the bane of the society. These theories are necessary in understanding the causes and consequences of youth offences. Thus criminology and sociology assume a very important dimension in the current effort by me as a social worker. Political influences on youth offending have received much less attention in the past and yet again power and politics have played such a big role in shaping and broadening the current interest in the subject by social workers (Case, 2009). Youth offending might affect whole communities and cause a degree of fear, and a sense of insecurity among them. As much as it damages one of the most vulnerable sectors of the society, i.e. youth, there is a whole set of issues associated with the scope for intervention by social workers to transform, improve the situation for better and initiate far reaching policy level changes. The youth have a multitude of problems that makes them resort to youth offending. The social worker's ability and power to initiate changes that would have a real impact in transforming and improving the current situation concerning youth offending have to be understood against the backdrop of the politically charged atmosphere in which governmental and institutional interference and involvement are too extensive (Hartjen, 2008). The sociologist and the social worker have to be empowered to bring about a real change. Such a real change would be confined to research papers only if they are not empowered to initiate policy level intervention programs that would a far reaching positive impact on the learning outcomes as outlined in this paper. For instance the assumption that youth offending behavior among gangs requires an approach that would include an endogenous and exogenous analysis of the circumstances in order to evaluate the learning outcomes. Theoretical and conceptual analysis This paper would focus on both the theoretical and conceptual aspects of psychological and social causes based on the youth offences and offending behavior. Thus this study would be a thorough examination about the impact of social disabilities on youth offending behavior in the society (Clayton, 2008). In addition the political impact on youth offending and its consequences for the society at large would be considered with reference to power relations. Social, economic and psychological factors would be thoroughly examined in order to apply a more appropriate framework of analysis on youth offending. Currently available literature on the subject of youth offending shows a greater degree of violence as one of the main causes for the increasing incidence of youth offending. However a very significant issue that has received the attention of social planners and field workers is the fact that physical and manpower resources are not adequate to meet the demand (Miller, & Vandome, 2010). According to the traditionalist theory youth offences can be attributed to the gender differences. In fact criminologists have found a huge variation between male and female offenders. The majority of the youth offenders are male offenders and they are responsible for a variety of criminal behaviors. Some critics have pointed out that female criminals are increasing in number due to the liberal culture (Phillips, 2008). Nowadays women have the same degree of freedom that men have on any count. While the degree of agreement/disagreement between and among the variables has been presented as higher, there is very little analysis on the related subject of crime level and its consequences for the society, the affected individual and the family (Arthur, 2006). As a result the political power relations and the role played by them in affecting youth offenders have been neglected. It's here that the social worker comes into fill the gap. Psychological explanations of the youth offending behavior identify the importance of social biases and prejudices to such an extent, that independent researchers on the subject hold the common view that community perspectives on street crime and gangster behavior have much more than what they show on the surface (Crawford, 2003). For instance family values and poverty have been cited as the most powerful internal factors with such a greater impact on the potential youth offender's thinking. Sociologists have identified the existence of mass poverty pockets in the neighborhoods of some countries in the West where youth offending is on the rise. Marxian theory on poverty and antisocial behavior is relevant here. Though Marx doesn't identify youth offending as a class-based response to class divisions on the lines of the poor versus the rich, he invariably refers to criminal behavior as a direct consequence of poverty (Chattopadhyay, 1994). Thus social attitudes haven't undergone the more desirable transformation needed to serve as a change agent for the potential youth offender. The available literature on social attitudes towards family values and poverty has amply demonstrated the fact that attitudes in the society towards youth offences such as crimes, sexual abuse by gangs have not been shifting in the right direction. Both structuralism and post-structuralism place the emphasis on the breakdown of social and ethical system. On the other hand Marxism and post-structuralism are different kinds of theoretical approaches (Becker, 2008). Marxism is basically about the social change theory and post structuralism is associated with particular politics. Politics has played a very big role in influencing youth offenders. These developments in turn have given rise to a higher level of discontent among youth about the political institutions and the way that reforms at the penitentiaries take place. Youth offenders are often the victims of rigid structures and above all political processes that have failed to take into account the very nature of the causes of crime by youth offenders. Political factors such as political and geographic divisions of societies affect the very thinking of individuals (Boucher, 1998). For instance according to some recent researchers, repeat offenders among youth have been rising in numbers due to the fact that the relative efficacy of prison sentences has been deteriorating. This has further exacerbated the gap between those who support a psychology-based approach to understanding youth offenders' criminal conduct and those who argue that the problem is purely socio-economic (Barry, 2006). These differences have been centered on the recent tendency among scholars to adopt a more scientific approach to understanding and tackling the ever worsening crime situation in society. On the other hand the social worker has very little power to improve and transform the situation. Though the causal factors like gun culture and drug abuse have been cited as examples there is very little evidence to suggest that such factors have contributed in large measure to the currently very high prevalence rate of youth offending in the society (Sherman, 1993). Indeed youth offenders are increasingly drawn into these vices by the very nature of youth behavior. Thus they are more or less the consequences arising from the inadequate empowerment of the social worker. Ironically government policies - economic and social - have also played a very significant role in contributing to the current level of youth offences in the society (Finlayson, 2005). In the first instance economic policies including social security benefits distribution have very little impact on sizeable crime pockets in Europe, especially in overcrowded urban centers of population concentrationJames Q. Wilson (Editor) > Visit Amazon's James Q. Wilson Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author Learn about Author Central . Criminologists would have people believe that poverty is a very large contributory factor to youth violence in the society. The cumulative impact of government policies becomes known only when realistic assessments are carried out to measure impact on social outcomes. The available literature on the subject suggests a national trend that shows a greater prevalence rate of poverty and an equally bigger school drop-out rate among youth members' families (Goldman, 2001). Researchers question the credibility deficit between the government social policies and actual social welfare levels. In the absence of statistics, there is very little empirically reliable evidence to suggest what corrective measures ought to be adopted in order to tackle the growing incidence of youth violence. Suggestions for empowerment, transformation and improvement I have been involved in social work for quite a while concerning youth offenders. Though I have noticed a fast deteriorating situation, with little more political will and a greater commitment on the part of authorities concerned the current level of apathy can be reduced. Consequences of such youth offences cannot be delineated as direct impact or indirect impact either. Thus a more realistic determination of the causes and consequences of offences by youth generation have to be placed side by side to examine the impacting issues and implications as well (Arrigo, & Schehr, 1998). I wish to make the following suggestions for the transformation and improvement of the situation thus empowering both the social worker and the decision maker in implementing strategies and programs for a real change. At the social level there must be a realistic approach to understanding the real nature and scope of political forces that have a negative impact on youth offenders and youth offenders (Lin, 1991). Empowerment of social workers and policy decision makers in initiating corrective programs and plans is essential (Stallard, Thomason, & Churchyard, 2003). Such empowerment must be based on a realistic assessment of the contributory factors to youth offending, especially the political background of violence and antisocial behavior. Transformation of the existing situation at the social level requires intervention by social workers at the grassroots because it is them who have the knowledge and capacity to deal with the emotional stress imposed by the very nature of implementing highly demanding and difficult prevention programs. Similarly it's them who are able to transform the current youth offenders' indulgence in crime (Gottfredson, & Hirschi, 1990). Social workers have the capacity to improve the lives of youth offenders to a greater extent because it's them who come into contact with them (offenders) at both the social level and the institutional level (e.g. the prison). Finally social workers need to be empowered to initiate changes to the existing system, including the way political institutions get involved with the lives of the youth. Prevention strategies must be targeted at transforming the social institutional framework and empowering the judicial, prison and police authorities to take both policy level decisions and initiatives towards reducing the level of recidivism (Maxwell, & Morris, 1999). As for preventing the root causes the existing institutional and social structures must be restudied to bring about an effective process of reformation. The extent to which the society at large can be empowered to bring about desirable changes in the current situation depends on the willingness of authorities to transform and improve the situation from what it's now into a highly positive atmosphere where potential youth offenders would have less cause to indulge in the type of anti-social behavior (McGarrell, & Hipple, 2007). Finally empowerment must be extended to the very youth whom these policies are targeted at. In fact they must be brought into the political mainstream instead of relegating them to the margins. Political marginalization of youth is perhaps one of the major crimes that the society has committed against them. Conclusion and learning outcomes Youth offending has become one of the major social problems of the current decade. A process of transformation and improvement requires not only the political will on the part of authorities but also a long term commitment to initiate policies and programs that are more effective and well planned. According to both structuralist and post-structuralist approaches empowerment process should necessarily underlie the very transformation process and the improvement programs. In other words those social workers, policy planners and authorities in charge of institutions related to transformation and improvement of youth offenders' situation and care must be empowered by using all available resources As for the structural and political reforms that have been suggested by many researchers they are basically centered on the need to restructure the very judicial process and the system of prisons. Youth offending is characterized by a higher level frustration among youth over political marginalization and structural maladjustments. According to Karl Marx's writings on conflict criminology, crime is inevitable in capitalist societies. This is because in such societies wealth is distributed among a few in the society at the expense of many, thus creating a class system between the rich and poor. As a result certain groups will become marginalized and deprived of the material wealth. In seeking equality members of these groups may often turn to crime in order to gain the material wealth that apparently brings equality in capitalist economic states. This deprivation of wealth and unemployment drives poorer youth to engage in crimes such as stealing. The very discourse on youth offending behavior has been pathetically slanted towards identifying social and economic factors while political factors such as policy level discrimination by authorities and a consistent failure on the part of local councils and other bodies to address the problem of minorities' rights have been relegated to a second place. I have particularly identified a set of possible solutions as outlined under suggestions to improve and transform the situation of youth offenders through the empowerment of social workers, policy decision makers and the very youth whom these initiatives and programs are targeted at. The reluctance of authorities, both political and administrative, to relegate responsibility and power to field level operators in transforming and improving the lot of these youth is the most negative factor associated with youth offending at the national level. Political implications associated with such indecision are far reaching in their impact on the programs and initiatives. Social workers have been pushed to the extreme in this regard. Their relative powerlessness can be seen as a major setback for the current efforts in transforming and improving the situation. Finally some structural shortcomings such as social and institutional have contributed to the current problems though such shortcomings can be corrected by adopting better corrective measures such as the removal of unnecessary institutions that interfere with progressive implementation of youth welfare programs at the national level. REFERENCES 1. Arrigo, BA & Schehr, RC 1998, 'Restoring justice for juveniles: a critical analysis of victim-offender mediation', Justice Quarterly, vol.15, no.4, pp.629-66. 2. Arthur, R 2006, Family Life and Youth Offending: Home is Where the Hurt is (Routledge Advances in Criminology), Routledge, New York. 3. Barry, M 2006, Youth Offending in Transition: The Search for Social Recognition, Routledge, New York. 4. Becker, JF 2008, Marxian Political Economy: An outline, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 5. Case, C 2009, Understanding Youth Offending: Risk factor research, policy and practice, Willan Publishing, Devan. 6. 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Phillips, C 2008, 'Ethnicity and social relations in a young offenders' institution', Theoretical Criminology, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 313-331. 19. Sherman, L 1993, 'Defiance, deterrence, and irrelevance: a theory of the criminal sanction', Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, vol.30, no.4, pp.445-76. 20. Stallard, P, Thomason, J & Churchyard, S 2003, 'The mental health of young people attending a Youth Offending Team: a descriptive study', Journal of Adolescence, vol.26 no.1, pp. 33-43. Read More