Youths are important members of the society. This study has elucidated the concept of deviance affecting Canadian youth. It is evident that deviance arises when individuals of a given society participate in activities which are outside the socially accepted norms. Various factors, including the involvement and attachment among the youth have contributed to the high numbers of youth being involved in criminal and deviant behavior.
Deviance Among Canadian Youths
Deviation refers to the violation of the acceptable norms and values that have maintained within the cultural framework of a society. Norms are very important in every society since they allow the people of a given society to coexist with one another, and create the best environment for human living. The Canadian society like other societies is guided by certain norms and values, which are useful for the normal operation of the Canadian society. It is on this account that the issue of deviance cannot be underestimated. One cannot underestimate the issue of deviance, and the way it has caught up with many youths in the Canadian societal setting. Deviance comes with a number of consequences, especially to the youth who are expected to be the future leaders of the nation (Platt, 1999).
Canada has experienced increased numbers of youths who have taken on deviant behavior. In this context, many youths have been found guilty engaging in activities or organizations that have taken on activities that are opposed to the accepted norms of the Canadian society. This study looks at deviance as a problem that is eating into the lives of many youths in Canada. The problem of deviance is a challenge in the Canadian society because it involves the violation of the laws and norms. Most of the youth has been found engaging in criminal behaviors, including traffic violations, prostitution, sexual assault, cybercrime, and murders in extreme cases.
Deviance and Social Issues
Deviance and deviant behaviors are closely related to a number of social factors shaping a given environment. For instance, issues like gender discrimination and prejudice has brought about deviance. In societies that have not created gender balance cultures and equality among the genders, one gender (in many cases, males) may be deviant to the laws of the land and engage in harassing or abusing their female counterparts.
The other issue that may lead to deviance is the issue of age and the connection between the youth and the mature/elderly people in the society. The youths may engage in deviant behaviors as an avenue of expressing their identity. In cases where youths are not valued and feel unrecognized, they may engage in deviant behaviors with the aim of seeking attention and creating their identity in their society. This is seen from their engagement in activities like riots (Thomas, 2002).
Ethnicity may also affect the extent of deviance and crime, especially in contexts where societies are made of the major and minor ethnic races. In societies where the youths have been raised with unresolved issues on ethnic prejudice, this may lead to ethnic conflicts, and other deviant behaviors. Negative ethnicity has made many people engage in deviant behaviors: prejudice may make someone feel that they belong to the low ethnic backgrounds. It may also lead to prejudicial treatment of people from other ethnic backgrounds, which is against the acceptable norms of the land (Flowers, 2003).
Why are youth strongly associated with crime in Canadian society?
Canada has experienced an increased in the number of deviant behaviors being associated with the youths. Although that the government has put controls on deviant behaviors, there has been a high number of youths found guilty of deviant behavior. A number of reasons have been found to contribute to the high numbers of youths engaged in criminal behaviors. The following three reasons explain why the youth in Canada is strongly associated with crime and deviance in the Canadian society (Platt, 1999).
The first reason is 'attachments'. In this regard, attachments refer to the mutual bonds that bind together societal members. In many societies, people are attached to one another due to a number of factors that attach them; these may include race, religion, and ethnic groups. Canada has experienced a growth in the cosmopolitan cities leading many people to come from different backgrounds. The absence of strong attachment among the youth has led to increased conflicts and deviant behaviors (Flowers, 2003).
The second reason that has led many of the youths in Canada to be associated with crimes and deviant behaviors is 'commitment'. In this context, commitment refers to loyalty that is directed towards legitimate opportunity. In many cases, the youths have engaged in deviance and crimes, for they have felt they are disadvantaged by conforming. For instance, many of the youths in low socioeconomic class have engaged in crimes, for they feel disadvantaged to conform to the structures of the wider society (Thomas, 2002).
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