Criminology Youth Justice UK - Essay Example

This concept applies to the minority members of the community such a, the youth, people with disability, and the elderly. Social exclusion of the youth is an example of social exclusion, and it refers to a situation where the youths are at a social disadvantage in accessing some of the resources within a community or state (Cavadino and Dignan, 2008). These resources are access to quality and good education, in ability to get gainful employment, and in ability to access proper health care. The people who are always responsible for excluding the youths from accessing such resources are the aged population (Hattery and Smith, 2012).

This is because they are afraid of losing their position in the society, by providing an access of institutions and services to the youth. Social exclusion will always make the young people to commit crime (Goldson and Muncie, 2006). This is because they will lack education, and hence good employment opportunities. Therefore, for them to survive, they will resort to crime. The differential association theory, and the labeling theory best explains how social exclusion leads to the emergence of crime amongst the youths.

According to labeling theory, the self identity of a youth is destroyed by negative labeling by the community. For example, when a young person comes out of a juvenile prison, the surrounding community might label him or her a jail bird. In order to live with this name, the young person will start engaging in criminal activities. On this basis, the negative label has made him or her to commit a crime. The differential theory on the hand, explains the negative effects of group associations on an individual’s behavior (Simon, 2012).

According to this theory, peer groups influence a young person to commit a criminal act. For example, when a young person joins a group that is involved in selling drugs, chance is high that he or she will also sale drugs. This is because of pressure from the individual’s peers to