Theories of Juvenile Offending

Assignment 1B:
Team PowerPoint
Theories of Juvenile Offending
CRI30010: Youth Justice and

Classical/Rational Choice
Theory
CRI30010: Youth Justice and
 Attributes criminal behaviours to individual choice nearly exclusively, arguing
deterrence makes deviant choices irrational (Siegel, 2015).
 Juveniles do not have the same reasoning capacity as adult, this needs to be
recognised when utilising a Classical/Rational Choice Theory lens to study youth
justice and crime (Cunneen, White & Richards, 2015).
 Research shows immaturity, an inability to recognise future consequences, toxic
culture and high rates of punishment in low socioeconomic neighbourhoods affect
youth decision making (Fagan and Piquero 2007) .
 Juvenile decision making and ability to read/respond to social cues are also inhibited in
comparison to adults (Fagan & Wilkinson 1998) .

Positivis
m
CRI30010: Youth Justice and
 Earliest criminological theory, bought about to utilise the scientific method for
criminology. Focused on biological, psychology or biochemical traits with early
iterations believing physical and racial traits could be used to identify criminals
(Cunneen, White & Richards, 2015).
 Propensity theory utilises positivism to argue latent traits, along with social structure
affects an individuals self-control, making them more likely to offend (Siegel, 2015).
 Evidence supports genetics have a causal, not just casual relationship to low self-
control. With social factors having a measurable, but limited effect (Beaver et al.
2008; Wright & Beaver 2005).