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Normal child development and development of delinquent behavior are greatly influenced by individual, social, and communal circumstances and their relationships influence the behavior. Comprehensive studies suggest that behavior, including antisocial and delinquent characteristics, results from a complex relation of personal biological and genetic elements and environmental elements, from the fetal stages of development to adulthood. Biological development is influenced by the environmental elements, which act together to influence one’s behavior. Most children attain adulthood without being involved in grave delinquent behavior, even when subjected to multiple risk factors. The risk elements at play may be used to identify the children who are in dire need of preventive interventions, but they cannot point out the children who will be involved in chronic offenses. Most adult offenders were once involved in delinquent behavior at their age, but not all children and adolescents involved in delinquent behavior turn out to be criminals in their adulthood (Shoemaker, pg. 4).
During my young and adolescent stages in life, I haven’t been involved in any delinquency behavior or a crime of any kind, I have strived to live the “straight and narrow” lifestyle. I have been exposed to some risk factors at various stages of growth, factors as peer pressure and violent social circles, but this didn’t pressure me to engage in delinquent behaviors. The chances of engaging in crimes could have increased if I was exposed to more risk factors like poor school attendance, poor education standards, family violence, substance abuse which majorly results from peer pressure, and social economic factors where delinquent behaviors are more common in poorer neighborhoods. My personality trait describes a calm person, not exhibiting antisocial and aggressive behaviors which are some of the personal risk factors that can pressure a child or adolescent to engage in crimes.
The term anomie was used to define the nonexistence of social guidelines, or normlessness, but was later revised to describe the consequences of a nonfunctional relationship between one’s goals and the genuine process of achieving them. Two features of social and cultural layout have been emphasized; the goals defined based on culture, like monetary success, and the legitimate means like education of achieving the said goals. Within our societal context, success goals are widely distributed but the means and opportunities of hitting the goals are not widely shared. This theory is utilized in explaining why adolescents and young adults engage in delinquent behaviors and the reason why some groups are categorized as being more delinquent than others. The members of the lower class exhibit the highest disparity between goals and means of achieving them, hence exhibiting the highest rates of delinquent behavior as they result in to use of unlawful in place of lawful processes (Siegel and Brandon, pg104).
This theory is based on the assumption that children of the lower class, who are likely to be in the delinquent subculture category, initially experience a failure to hit the expectations when they enter school. When evaluated against the middle class, they are found to be below average, which results in an increasing feeling of frustration based on their status. This not only applies in school but within the general society too. A juvenile who fails to attain the socially set standards falls off from society and seeks validation from a subculture, which consists of other societal “misfits”. As the lower-class children lack preparation from their earliest experiences on how to fulfill the middle-class anticipations, the delinquent subculture is established as a substitute category of values that the lower-class adolescents can meet. These sub-cultural values signify a complete abandonment of middle-class standards by establishing the opposite category of prestige. It results in the frustrations of failure (Siegel and Brandon, pg106).
I didn’t engage in these behaviors as I considered and have always considered them unlawful, for exhibiting delinquent behavior is a crime. Brushing the wrong side of the law will result in unwanted consequences like being jailed, and spoiling my reputation which will hurt my career in the future and this will also be disobeying my parents. The motivation for living a positive lifestyle has been motivated by my will to do good, abide by the set rules and regulations, and conform to the positive societal norms, which I have learned since my childhood. I haven’t deviated from the social norms, but I do question some of the norms that I feel don’t have good moral standards, like discrimination based on gender. My traits and the background in which I have been brought up are the main contributors to my resistance to engaging in delinquent behaviors.
My lack of engaging in delinquent behaviors is dictated by the fact that I have grown up having access to most means of achieving the goals I set, from excellent academic performance to short-term goals like participating in clubs and societies. The Anomie theory states that delinquent behavior arises when one can’t access the right means to achieve their goals, and more so those in the lower financial classes, and the opposite is true. I have had access to financial and social support from the people around me, a factor that has been crucial in my journey of attaining my goals. The focus on working and improving on the means at hand has kept me from engaging in activities that might entice me to engage in crimes. Also, coming from a relatively well-off background, I had the obligation of maintaining a good reputation, which meant I had to abide by the set rules and the norms instilled in me by my parents and society. An example is ensuring am disciplined in school, which translates to a peaceful learning environment and hence excellent grades.
The subculture theory is greatly promoted by peer pressure. When I joined the school, my academic performance was above average, a factor that had been contributed by my background upbringing. The ability to excel in most of the things I focus on has assisted me in adjusting well to societal standards and avoiding giving in to peer pressure. The early experience that was subjected to by my parents has also helped in establishing a concrete foundation in me, which has been crucial in adjusting to the social standards and ensuring performance in what I do. The desire to be different positively, and to exhibit positive and admirable traits has always encouraged me to keep away from negative peer pressure. During the times I have failed to achieve some of my goals, I have managed to fight the frustrations and in case I have deviated from the set social norms, I have always tried to retrace my steps. As delinquent subculture is a category of individuals exhibiting behaviors that contradict societal norms, I have been weary of these groups.
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