Applying Criminology in Everyday Lives Essay

Criminology deals with the study of criminals and criminal behavior, however, criminologists try to build theories that answer why crimes occur and test those theories by observing behavior (Lynch, 2006). There have been many theories why people commit crimes but the most sought after of all areas of criminology is juvenile crime. Juvenile crime is constantly increasing in the society. In law, juvenile crime comprises various offenses committed by children or youths under the legal age of 18 and is also called juvenile delinquency (Samentz, 2006). One very good example is the situation described. Assuming I am a parent of a 16 year old boy and I find my son’s friend inside the house where the door has been ajar. The boy is caught in the act of looking through the kitchen drawer and says that he is looking for a paper and a pencil to leave a note for my son. However, on the counter next to him are a lock-pick and some jewelry belonging to me, the boy smelling of marijuana. After which he leaves the house. Such action is positively thieving even if the boy denies it. And the boy is probably using dangerous drugs. The event is definitely a type of juvenile crime. What would I do then? The first thing that comes to mind is to talk to my son and try to find out about his friend and most especially about him. I will ask him if he knows that his friend is using dangerous drugs and is even stealing from people. If he says he does not know about it, then I will narrate to him what I have seen and try to see his reaction about it. By looking at the way he reacts from his friend’s story, I will know if he really is telling the truth. I will realize if he does the same things his friend does since he is my son and knows him much. If he seems to know the truth then I will warn him to stay away from his friend lest he become influenced with delinquent habits. If he seems to be involved in his friend’s delinquent acts, then I will give him some kind of punishment and try to extinguish such habits by offering alternative hobbies such as sports and music. Bestowing punishment to my son is a way of deterring delinquency. Such concept of punishment can be of the concept of general deterrence, specific deterrence and situational crime prevention. The concept of general deterrence states that the choice to commit delinquent acts can be controlled by the threat of punishment (Wadsworth, 2005, p. 53). On the other hand, according to the concept of specific deterrence, if a young offender is punished severely the experience will convince him not to commit the crime (Wadsworth, 2005, p. 56). Situational crime prevention however is slightly related with punishment. In this concept, delinquency is made more difficult and less profitable by tight security such as using surveillance and street lighting (Wadsworth, 2005, p. 58). After talking to my son about the incident regarding his friend, a visit to the police station near the neighborhood will be appropriate to find out if the boy has any criminal records or any juvenile delinquency records. If so, I’ll try to find the parents of the boy to try to talk to them about the status of their son. I will narrate the incident to the parents while simultaneously observing if there are any clues as to why the boy has the tendency to be delinquent. It is found in studies that children of deviant parents are more likely to become delinquent (Wadsworth, 2005, p. 64). Thus, the social factor of the boy’s delinquency can be rooted on the way he was reared. If the parents of the child agree to do something about their child’s delinquency, then I can find a way to help them cope with the steps needed to correct the acts. I can even find a way to recommend a social worker specializing in such cases if the parents themselves don’t know what to do about it. If the parents however, are not convinced of their son’s behavior and that the boy has some criminal records at the police station, then I will go back to them, this time bringing a police officer with me. This is highly recommended if I see hints of deviance from the parents themselves such as parents having criminal records or parents who have been jobless for a long time and are not doing anything about it, much more if the other children of the parents are also delinquent youth. The police officer will explain the situation about their son and so, try to find solution regarding the case. After all these things, I will then suggest to the police to monitor the whereabouts of the boy so that he will not commit any delinquent acts anymore. Furthermore, I will continue to supervise on my own son’s whereabouts and actions to prevent him from delinquent tendencies. Another way of preventing delinquency of the youth in our community should also be developed and initiated. Such activities as sports tournaments and plays may be appropriate. There have been many theories that attempt to figure out the causes of juvenile delinquency usually focusing on the individual and the society (Samentz, 2006). By finding the root causes of juvenile delinquency, solutions are formulated to deter such actions. It is the responsibility of each citizen to participate in this endeavor. Such situation as discussed above is one way of helping in the prevention of juvenile delinquency.