Reference no: EM133332778

In this chapter, the author discusses the relationship between age and criminal offending. The younger a person is, the more likely he is to commit a crime due to a lack of self-control. This statement is especially true for males, as male offenders under the age of 18 account for the majority of juvenile arrests. Similarly, males commit the vast majority of violent crimes, with those aged 18-24 being the most likely to commit such offenses. This suggests that there is a link between age and criminal behavior, with younger, male offenders being more likely to break the law. Furthermore, gender roles can influence criminal behavior, with males more likely to commit "masculine" crimes such as robbery, burglary, or assault. Females, on the other hand, are more likely to commit "feminine" crimes such as shoplifting or fraud.

In the past, I used the terms crime and delinquency interchangeably, not knowing the main difference between the two. It was surprising to know that most illegal acts performed by an individual under the age of 18 (16 or 17 in other states) are termed delinquency, not crime. And as such receive lighter or rehabilitative sanctions for delinquent acts. Another difference between delinquency and crime which I found interesting was; in delinquency cases, the justice system is focused on the offender and not the offense. As individuals access counseling, monitoring helps transform the individual to become a better part of society.

The author also mentioned that society believes delinquent youth can change (32). Honestly, I think otherwise due to the way the media and society label and portray delinquent youths as criminals.

Lastly, crime measurements are unreliable and biased due to the fact that many crimes go unreported, and the justice system mainly focuses on street crime in some neighborhoods, while overlooking white-collar crimes.