because crime which is committed by those aged between fifteen and twenty-five is disproportioned.
30
For Brown, theories on the causes of youth crime are also important because they could indicate whether a young person has
mental disorder or behavioral issues such as conduct disorder, schizophrenia, or post traumatic stress disorder.
31
According to John W. Santrock, the term Juvenile delinquency refers to a broad range of behaviors, from socially unacceptable
behavior such as acting out in school to status offenses such as running away to criminal acts such as burglary.
32
2. Correlative Factors of Juvenile Delinquency
According to Edward Eldefonso, the correlatives of delinquency are: age, sex, poverty, social class membership, primary group
family, and school.
33
According to Martin, juvenile deviance is influenced by a number of factors. Among these are family, socio-economic class, and
educational experience. The following is the explanation for each:
a. Family
Family background is the most potential influences on juvenile development, because juvenile starts his first life there. Norms,
values, modes behavior, and other imprints emanate from the family which therefore creates child’s personality. It is within the
family unit that children receive most of their information about how to interact with other people and society. Healthy and
nurturing families instruct members on how to interact using
30
Walklate, S, Understanding Criminology – Current Theoretical Debates, Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2003, Second Edition, p. 87.
31
Brown, S Understanding Youth and Crime Listening to youth?, Buckingham: Open University Press, 1998, p. 67.
32
John W. Santrock, Adolescence ……………………………….., p. 522.
33
Edward Eldefonso, Law Enforcement and The Youthful Offender, Canada: John Wiley Sons, Inc., 1973, Second Edition, p. 63
16
functional norms of behavior, whereas unhealthy family environments instruct members on how to interact using
dysfunctional norms. Thus, dysfunctional families transfer dysfunctional norms to their children.
34
If anti-social and criminal norms such as stress, estrangement, coldness, and unhealthy boundaries exist in family, the children
may copy and implement it into the world outside family. Such as this family may produce disproportionately high incidence of
delinquent behavior in children who grow up there.
35
In addition, families that disintegrate into divorce can also produce
dysfunctional children. The important thing is whether family iss healthy or not.
36
b. Socioeconomic Class
Experts argue that class background is a significant explanatory variable for delinquent propensities.
37
Youths who are born into poor family are more likely to involve in delinquent behavior.
38
The poor family is not the only reason for delinquent behavior, middle-class children may also commit crimes because of parental
pressure, peer pressure, uncertainty for the future, experimentation
34
For a critical review of research on the intricate relationship between family background and teen delinquency, see C. A., Smith, and S. B., Stern, Delinquency and Antisocial Behavior: A
Review of Family Processes and Intervention Research Social Service Review, September, 1997, p. 71.
35
See Gorman-Smith, D., Tolan, P. H., Loweber, R., Henry, D. B., Relation of Family Problems to Patterns of Delinquent Involvement among Urban Youth Journal of Abnormal Child
Psychology, 1998, October, p. 26.
36
For a groundbreaking study of the effects of divorce on children and parents, see Wallerstein, J. S., Kelly, J. B., Surviving the Breakup: How children and Parents Cope With
Divorce New York: Basic Books, 1996, p. 143.
37
R. G. Shelden, Controlling the Dangerous Classes: A Critical Introduction to The History of Criminal Justice Boston: Allyn Bacon, 2001, pp. 65 – 68.
38
R. A. Cloward and L. E. Ohlin, Delinquency and Opportunity: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs New York: Free Press, 1966, p. 90.
17
with intoxicating substances, and experimenting with alternatives lifestyle.
39
Research on inner-city middle-class has found that large numbers of the urban poor are in chronic generational cycle of
poverty, low educational achievement, teenage parenthood, unemployment, and welfare dependence. And underclass theorist
argues that anti-social behaviors tend to improvise inner-city environment. Therefore, delinquency and criminality are the facts
of their life.
40
c. Educational Experiences
