Family Delinquency and Crime Closer

Family Delinquency and Crime

Closer Look at the Age, Peers, and Delinquency Relationship by Daniel P. Mears and Samuel H. Field (in the Western Criminology Review, 2002)

The main objective of the paper is to address the issue of delinquency and the factors that influence the actions of delinquents. The authors acknowledge that much research has been conducted in terms of the impact of age and delinquent peer associations on the delinquent orientation. They also however identify a gap in these studies, where little research attention has been given: the interaction of age and peer association and the way in which this interaction influences the level of delinquency. While it has therefore been unequivocally proven that the nature of an individual's peer interactions is one of the strongest predictors of delinquency, and age groups have also been researched in this regard, the nature of the interaction between these remains uncertain. One of these uncertainties relates to whether peer association is the cause or result of delinquent behavior. While some research indicates that delinquency precedes peer association, others provide evidence of peer association preceding delinquency, while delinquency itself then reinforces peer associations of this kind. In other words, and interactional relationship takes place after the initial peer associations that result in delinquency. Yet another group of researchers, according to authors, hold that there is a bi-directional interaction between delinquency and peer interaction, with each playing an equal role in reinforcing the other. With this, the authors demonstrate the need to explore the interaction of age, peer association and delinquency in a more direct way rather than addressing each separately. As part of this objective, the authors also aim to explore the link between age and peer associations with specific types of offense. The significance of such research is its potential to provide a better and deeper understanding of criminal behavior. Along with addressing the issue of delinquency and its influencing factors, specific crimes and the way in which delinquency and age interact with them are also addressed.

The research conducted begins with an examination of work already completed on the target subject. In fact, the question addressed in the paper is an issue arising from work conducted recently. Indeed, the authors find that few theories have been developed to address the effect of age on delinquent peer associations. Most of these theories, according to the authors, address the order in which delinquency and peer association take place. While age does play a role in such accounts, the focus is not on the variations of peer influence with age. This is the gap the authors aim to address.

In terms of research conducted in terms of age, the authors describe Thornberry's interactional theory, which holds that delinquent peer associations should increase its influence during mid-adolescence, after which it again declines. This theory is based upon social learning theory, which holds that the transition between childhood to adolescence is particularly crucial in forming peer networks. This stage represents an individual's development of identity via peer connections. After this stage, the identity becomes entrenched in an individual's connections with conventional activities and institutions.

The problem with the above, according to the authors, is its tendency to generalize. Generalization fails to address the issues related to specific offenses, and how these interact exactly with age and peer interactions. The main danger is that misgeneralization may take place, and thus a misunderstanding of criminal activity among the youth, as well as a misdiagnosis about how to treat the problem.

After an examination of existing research, the authors present their hypothesis, which focuses on the social structural orientation. Specifically, the hypothesis holds that specific age categories are viewed as social structural contexts, which support specific types of offending. The consistency of these associations then also influence the type of offense as well as its severity. This consistency eventually leads to higher rates of offending among older offenders. The authors cite Warr (1993), whose theory differs from their hypothesis in identifying a pattern of peer association, but not whether its influence varies with age, or by offense.

The research design includes data from the National Youth Survey (NYS). The Survey has conducted research on delinquent behavior since 1976. The age group of the youths studied was 11 to 17. The methodology entailed asking the youths questions relating to the preceding year. The subsequent analysis consisted of ten self-reported offenses and an offense index. The specific offenses included items such as cheating, damaging property, stealing, causing physical harm, selling or using drugs, and drinking. Respondents were asked questions relating to the specific offenses, including how many times they committed each during the past year. The findings are delineated in a table.

The offense index was created by a mean of zero for each individual offense count. The standard deviation was one, with a sum of the counts across all ten items. This would prevent generalizing the frequency of offending behavior, and specifically show the types of offenses that were committed with higher frequencies, and at which age groups these occurred.

A number of questions were used for the delinquent peer association in order to determine the frequency of specific crimes and their associated peer groups. Youths were asked how many of their friends have committed a certain action during the previous year. From the results, another index was created, with a standardized mean of zero.

Models were created to determine the interaction between age and delinquent peer association. Cross-sectional data are used to examine the impact of peer association on delinquency and its possible variation by age. A number of factors can influence delinquency during specific time periods, including age, specific peer associations, or specific historical events.

Drugs and crime have become an increasing problem among the youth. While many studies have been conducted in this regard, few have offered targeted solutions in dealing with the problem. Furthermore, the problem appears to be escalating even as professionals are attempting to deal with it in a targeted manner. Perhaps the problem is the basic understanding of the nature of the problem. A problem can only be solved effectively if it is properly understood.

The study by Mears and Field is an important step in accomplishing such an understanding. They address an important gap in the field of research relating to the youth crime problem. What I find particularly interesting is that few studies in the past have bothered to address the actual interaction between age, delinquency and peer association. While existing studies may be useful in building and understanding of the problem, it is important to address all the factors involved. This is a gap that the paper attempts to fill.

Some interesting findings yielded by the study include the expected pattern of age/peer interactions that are most evident for crimes such as using marijuana and getting drunk. The significance of such a finding is that these offenses can be targeted as a basis for youth and delinquency programs. Such a target can then also be used as a basis for curbing more severe delinquent activities such as selling illegal drugs and burglary.

It is also interesting to note that there is a progression in the effect of peers from one age to the next. This finding indicates at which age delinquency and peer association are at their most intense. Specific age groups to be targeted for specific youth programs can then also help to curb the problem much more effectively than is currently the case. Another finding that is interesting is the decrease of using prescription drugs and burglary during ages 18 or 19. This also means that more serious offenses can be dealt with early in the teenager's life.