Checkpoint_Individual_Theories

Individual Theories By: Eleanore Krzeminski CJS/240 Michelle Wilson Eleanore Krzeminski When dealing with the adolescents we must think about how the life in which they have grown up with has in fact affected them in any way. Some adolescents have lived abusive lives with only one parent. Some of the younger children have been in situations that one would never dream of. There are many different reasons why some adolescents choose to commit crimes and why some of them choose to live the life that is not full of crimes. Even though most have been in similar circumstances each still have the choice of life. We often think of those who commit crimes as a person who makes stupid choices. However, one must sit down and think about all perspectives that an adolescent has had to deal with in a lifetime. There are three theories that result in criminal behavior. In this paper I will discuss the following theories; behavioral, neurological and psychodynamic. The behavioral theory is a sense of individuals who in fact learn by observing how other people react to their behaviors. This could be due to past experiences that the adolescents have had to deal with and overcome. Also, living a life where rewards and punishments were a big deal in the household. For example we reward our children if they eat all of their dinner we choose to give them desert. This is a reward in which is deserved when doing what was told to do. However if the food is not gone the child makes that choice to not have desert which is a punishment. The neurological theory is a way to explore and explain the certain behaviors through the brain activity and the neuronal firing. This could mean something like brain impairment that could have happened under many reasons or a trait that is known as ADHD. Things like this could be something that was inherited or could be produced by many factors that have to do with birth. ADHD is a form of brain dysfunction. Most adolescents who are born or have inherited brain dysfunctions are more likely to commit crimes as they become adults. The psychodynamic theory links antisocial behaviors to unconscious emotions and feelings that have been developed in the early childhood. This is something that will happen if one of the segments are not balanced in the way in which it should be. When an adolescent has psychological traits that are imbalanced this could be due to many things; unconscious conflicts, childhood traumas and some forms of family abuse. When something traumatic has happened to an adolescent this will in fact have a huge impact on how this child will grow to become an adult. Those who have had to deal with the issues are not likely to become a criminal however it is still a possible outcome because of a bad childhood. Some adolescents are a little more motivated to commit crimes while others who have found themselves in a similar way of growing up choose not to. This is because some don’t fully understand that a big role with this factor has to do with how the individual has been raised and if any childhood traumas have been dealt with. It also has a lot to do with the living situations. If you have grown up living in a neighborhood where its filled with nothing but violence, drugs and abuse chances are you would grow up to be just like that. References Juvenile Delinquency: The Core COPYRIGHT © 2005 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc