The purpose of the classification matrix is to suggest the presumptive sanction(s) for youth entering the juvenile justice system based on the seriousness of the present offense and the risk of continued delinquent behavior. Furthermore because of incomplete information in criminal history, social behavior, attitude behavior indicators, incomplete school data, medical history, and families background along with criminal history, this is assessment cannot properly assess these two juveniles. Additionally, the assessment cannot match the sanction with the level of control necessary to manage the risk, and offer the advantages of the matrix approach for a more accurate measure of recidivism than the use of a risk assessment only (Missouri Juvenile Offender Risk Assessment, 2003). In assessing the current information with an understanding the risk assessment is incomplete and pending further investigations the correctional strategy are assessed
Greater distress when reacting to others’ emotions iii. Elevated cognitive distortions 4. Sexually abused sex offenders vs. Sexually abused non-offenders i. Offenders were more likely to view their experiences as normal or enjoyable ii. As children did not know the behavior was wrong iii. Behavior progressed into adolescence when offending begins iv.
Individual Theories CJS/240 Some adolescents are motivated to commit criminal activities and others in similar environments are not likely as likely to commit crimes. Two theories that can help examine this topic of discussion is the routine activities theory and biochemical theory. Adolescents are influenced by their parents and other adolescents that they associate with. Adolescents will make their own decisions even if the parents provide a stable environment for their children. Whether or not an adolescents behavior is based on their activities they perform as a routine or a chemical imbalance it can be explained.
From the Cradle to the Courthouse In “Should Juvenile Offenders be tried as Adults,” Laurence Steinberg argues that juveniles think, act, and comprehend mentally on different level than adults. In “Adult Crime, Adult Time,” Linda Collier argues that juveniles are treated well by the American judicial system despite the very violent crimes that some of them commit. Some states believe that criminal acts committed by society’s youth should not be the only factor considered when deciding the punishment for the crime. Recent policy changes have shifted the view of many people. The changes in policies are the laws that govern the treatment of juveniles.
Children who are malnourished are more likely to be anti-social and commit violent crimes than children who are nourished. (Moffitt, 2006). “Research guided by diathesis-stress and resilience theories shows that individual variation in response to environmental hazards is associated with preexisting individual differences in temperament, personality, cognition, and psychophysiology, all of which are known to be under genetic influence” (Moffitt, 2006, p. 7). Culture’s factor in personality expression Culture effects personality in a variety of ways. Behaviors tend to be culturally patterned with childhood experiences influencing personality as an adult and socialization throughout childhood and adulthood shape personality patterns.
Explian why young offenders are treated differently in teh criminal justice system: less maturity - less ability to see the difference between right and wrong - more easily influenced by other people - chance to change how a youth views these bad things, while its too late for adults - gives a chance to preserve the inoccence in that child and gives them anoter chance to become a good person - the circumstances in their lives may have a LARGE affect on the bad choices they have made. What does this mean for
Running head: PUNISHMENT AND SENTENCING Punishment and Sentencing Michael Serrano, Eric Jirau, Sandra Brown, and Vincent Burford CJA/224 January 17, 2012 April Reddish Punishment and Sentencing There are various legal factors that are associated with juvenile sentencing in the criminal justice system. There is a “growing evidence indicates that many youth are transferred to the adult system for less serious, nonviolent offenses even when they have not been exposed to the full range of graduated sanctions available in the juvenile justice system” (Johnson, 2001). This study further shows that juveniles, According to Wolff-Barnes and Franz (1989) “Personal and aggravated personal offenders received more severe
From Farringtons study they concluded that the most important risk factors are criminality in the family and poor child-rearing. Suggesting that there is a cause and effect between the upbringing of children and how they will act in their childhood and later on in life. This is shown by the results as there was a positive correlation found between those who had convicted parents and those who were convicted of crime before and after their 21st birthday, whilst those who had parents who were not convicted were far less likely to be involved in crime themselves, many other childhood characteristics were shared between the ‘persisters’. A strength of the upbringing approach to psychology is that it is on the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate, this is shown through the Farrington study as it found that on their 15th birthday 29% of boys from the disrupted families had committed more crime compared to those boys with intact families. However a weakness of the upbringing approach is that it can be considered a reductionist because it ignores biological causes of crime.
Adolescent abuse: 1) Title of article 1: Physical Discipline, Escalation, and Child Abuse Potential: psychometric Evidence for the Analog Parenting Task 2) Title of article 2: Predictors of physical assault victimization: Findings from the National Survey of Adolescents * In both of the articles I found for adolescent physical abuse they seemed to touch on how adolescents that do experience physical abuse more often than not tend to have a higher likelihood of aggression and antisocial behaviors. In the first article I read it focused more on parents abusing their children it stated, “ abusive parents frequently engage in excessive harsh physical discipline and the use of physical punishment.” It was stated that some researchers have proposed that corporal punishment and physical abuse maybe be continuous constructs that differ in degree of severity. In the second article if focuses more on victimization towards the child by anyone, not pin pointing a specific person doing the abuse. They looked more on the symptoms of the children being physically abused and based it off of the DSM-IV requirements. Based on the DSM-IV there had to be three avoidances, one intrusion and two arousal symptoms.
In order to create and operate successful rehabilitation programs for juvenile delinquents we need to understand what causes juvenile delinquency. This is important because the rehab programs should be based and aimed toward fixing the problems that influence children to become delinquents. There are numerous reasons and factors that cause juveniles to commit delinquent acts. Many are not fully understood, but there are a few that are believed to be the main causes of delinquent