Labeling In Addressing Juvenile Delinquency Problems

Labeling theory makes no attempt to understand why an individual initially engaged in primary deviance and committed a crime before they were labeled; this then limits the scope of the theory’s explanations and suggests the theory may not provide a better account for crime. Labeling theory emphasizes the negative effects of labeling, which gives the offender a victim status. Also, the same likelihood exists for developing a criminal career regardless of deviance being primary or secondary. Furthermore, labeling theorists are only interested in understanding the aftermath of an individual getting caught committing crime and society attaching a label to the offender. This differs from the view of social learning theory, which seeks to explain the first and subsequent criminal acts. Many critics also argue that the racial, social, and economic statuses of an individual create labels, as opposed to criminal acts; this theory then fails to acknowledge that those statuses may factor into the labeling process. As a result, the above suggests that labeling theory does not provide a good account for crime and appropriately has little empirical support. Moreover, in terms of policy implications, labeling theory implies a policy of radical non-intervention, where minor offenses

Because of the stigma created from the label a modification of self image occurs in the individual. The individual essentially lives up to their deviant label, becoming the person described in the label. The process of deviancy amplification whereby any punishments or treatment therefore reinforce the individual perception of the criminal, thus more crimes fitting to the label are carried out. This theory can however by criticised because it is determinist, where individuals have n control over the process and once they have been labelled they will inevitably turn

(oxford dictionaries) so being assertive with the children who act this way to try to make them refrain from the behavior, that may result in earlier curfews, or making these offenders go to boot camp.

Menna, W. (2007, September 15). Evaluating Labeling Theory of Juvenile Delinquency. Retrieved from Science 360: http://

Everyone has been given a label in their lifetime. They can be said in person, spread throught the school or posted online. But labels have a great impact on others, and can be extremely hurtful. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird has many characters who have been given labels, and the book shows how people are affected by them. The labels that are given to people can affect them in many ways.

Labeling theory holds that individuals come to identify and act as per their labels. The major tenet of this theory is that the behavior and self-identity of individuals is affected by the way they are described by other people (Vold, Bernard, Snipes, & Gerould, 2016). According to this theory, the act of deviance is not implicit in a particular act, but is hedged on the inclination of the majority to ascribe labels to minorities in society who deviate from standard behavior. Labeling leads to dramatization of a particular act – which propagates the behavioral clash between the individual and the community. Through ascribing labels, the individuals acquire a negative self-image. The individuals accept themselves as labeled by the

Labeling theory argues that people tend to identify themselves and behave in ways that reflect how others label them. The behavior of one individual will influence and is influenced by the audience’s reaction; while at the same time, the audience’s reaction will affect one’s self-perception, and in turn, influences his behavior (shown as below). According to this theory, an individual’s self-image is actually constructed of ideas about what he/she thinks others are thinking about him/her. Human behavior is the result of meanings created by the social interaction of conversation, both real and imaginary (Mead, 1934; Macionis, 2012). In other words, according to the labeling theory, if an individual believes others think he is delinquent, then the chance is, he will regard self as delinquent as well, and make more delinquent movements.

The fourth article that I reviewed, focused on labeling theory. In this article, Labeling Effects of First Juvenile Arrests authors Liberman, Kirk, and Kim focused on how the first arrest increases the likelihood of reoffending for juveniles. The idea of labels triggers “secondary sanctioning” processes. Labeling is a powerful mechanism that can lead to crime.

The other issue that lawmakers, judges and society need to be aware of is the effects of labeling. Labeling can affect a juvenile throughout their lives. In the Idaho code 20-509 it says that once a juvenile is tried as an adult they will always be tried as an adult. Labeling a juvenile as an adult in the eye of the law could possibly lead to recidivism. Downs, Robertson and Harrison discuss that one of the repercussions of a more deviant label can increase the likelihood of more deviant behavior in the future. Deviant labels can weaken a juvenile’s bonds to society, there are less possibilities for jobs, and it could leads to a juvenile to have a harder time in school (Downs, Robertson & Harrison, 1997). When there is a weakened connection to the community you run in to the juvenile giving up trying to conform to the expectations set out for them. As described in Merton’s General Strain theory and innovation. When people feel like they don’t have the

In recent years, longitudinal data has been used to make comparisons between youth who are formally labeled and those who are not formally labeled. Investigating the relationship between labeling and delinquent history has served as the common strategy to make these comparisons.

Labeling leads to dramatization of a particular act – which propagates the behavioral clash between the individual and the community. Through ascribing labels, the individuals acquire a negative self-image. The individuals accept themselves as labeled by the community. Such people are likely to continue engaging in deviant acts because they become accustomed to the labels. Secondary deviance also arises due to the social rejection that deviants face in the community.

Focuses mainly on interactionist theory but uses labeling theory as a type of interaction that affects delinquency. Labeling specifically in relation to gender, used to explain the gender gap in juvenile delinquency. Used data from the 1976 National Youth Survey, a longitudinal study, uses a multistage cluster sampling, sample includes 1,725 11-17 year-olds, using the first three annual waves of data. Used personal interviews to collect self-report of delinquency, parents ' appraisals of their children, and youths ' reflected appraisals of themselves from the standpoint of parents, friends, and teachers. Labeling theory implies that males are more likely than females to be labeled delinquent, in part because they engage in more objective acts of rule violation, and in part because common stereotypes portray delinquency as a male phenomenon. Except status offenses, which are more often reported for and enforced on females rather than males. Believed that females may be more relationship-oriented, making them more sensitive to public opinion. The labeling process is more consequential for females than for males is also unsupported.

subjected to the juvenile justice system, but an alarming number of youths are transferred to

The middle class youth age is an impressionable demographic. This classification of youth is an impressionable group by societal reforms and middle class expectations in their lives. Their delinquency comes about the time when they are just figuring out their identity and lifestyle into adulthood. In the world of criminality there are theories that correlate towards describing this sense of identity and purpose. First, the study of labeling theory acknowledges the aforementioned delinquent youths that there concept of criminality is focused towards outlawing specific legal authorities, which drives gang related criminal behaviors. Without the law the nomenclature of the individual is labeled define their behavior as criminal. Therefore, the social control by law enforcement agencies is that criminal law and legal sanctions demonstrates crime by labeling an already existing behavior as criminal. To secondly support the label theory of delinquency, is mentioned that according to a study by Bevier et al., the criminal labels are attached to an member of gang, he or she can internalize the label placed as part of his or her identity and thereafter will take actions in their lives accordingly or exercise their free will to contrast the label. Thus, social control and self control creates crime in not new classification of an already existing behavior; but in a way to control behavior that would not have taken place otherwise through the creation of secondary deviance in a

This assignment will illustrate that by understanding the fundamentals of combatting juvenile delinquency and applying the theories to command practice will enhance the overall knowledge of the material. This document will demonstrate the juvenile delinquency reduction efforts and programs currently in operation in the Tampa area community. In addition, I will propose ways to improve the Tampa area community’s juvenile delinquency prevention efforts. Next, this paper will attempt to apply the main sociological theories that underlie these interventions that shape the community’s public policy for delinquency prevention. Finally, this paper will identify an appropriate strategy geared toward preventing delinquency that in consistent with the Behavioral theory.