An Investigation of Youth Violence & Other Criminal Behaviors

1 - INTRODUCTION .............................. 1

Statement of the Problem .................. 1

Purpose of the Study ...................... 1

Method .................................... 2

Structure of the Study .................... 2

2 - TRENDS IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ............... 3

Trends in Juvenile Crime .................. 3

Causal Attributions ....................... 5

3 - EXPLANATIONS: AN ANALYSIS ................. 9

Conflict Theory ........................... 9

Labeling Theory ........................... 9

Interactionist Paradigm ................... 10

Criminal Motivation and Opportunity ....... 12

Role of Gangs ............................. 13

Role of Adolescence ....................... 17

Role of Substance Abuse ................... 19

Role of Desensitization ................... 20

Role of Guns .............................. 21

Understanding Criminal Behavior ........... 23

4 - POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS ....................... 24

School-Based Solutions .................... 24

Other Solutions ........................... 27

5 - SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................... 28

ENDNOTES ........................................

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ho are still actively involved in crime at age 30 have survived the more typical early termination of criminal careers, and so are more likely to be the more persistent offenders. Role of Gangs Street gang activity most certainly has adverse effects on the broader society, neighborhoods, and families. Neighborhoods with significant levels of street gang activity become virtual hostages to the street gangs. Such neighborhoods may, to a great extent, be compared to the stereotypical frontier community portrayed in low-budget western motion pictures, in which an outlaw gang effectively dictates the behavioral norms of the community. In the motion pictures, some brave marshal, after about an hour-and-a-half, rescues the town, and dispatches the bad guys. There are, however, few such brave and effective marshal-type heroes for urban neighborhoods plagued by extensive street gang activity. For the greater part, such neighborhoods effectively become war zones. Increasing criminal activity and an increase violent behaviorùboth individual and groupùcharacterization a major part of the social deterioration in which gang activity thrives. Typical gang activities may involve a variety of criminal and other antisocial behaviors. Wh
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Approximate Word count = 8051
Approximate Pages = 32 (250 words per page)