Explanations of Conformity, Minor Delinquency, and Serious Delinquency

• NCJ Number: 74867
• Author(s): R S Agnew
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Draft discussion paper for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology

Annotation

Following a review of causal theories of delinquency, this paper contends that current concepts cannot explain all degrees of delinquency and neglect forces in man that are resistant to socialization.

Abstract

Crucial differences exist between minor and serious offenses, but most theorists do not distinguish between the two. Serious offenses are almost universally condemned, while minor misconduct is often tolerated or even approved. Serious offenses also result in greater harm for the victim and more severe punishment for the offender than minor offenses. Furthermore, race and class appear to be unrelated to minor delinquency, but are strongly tied to certain forms of serious delinquency. These disparities suggest that different theories may be needed to explain minor and serious delinquency. Subcultural deviance theory states that individuals learn to be delinquent in groups whose norms require delinquency. Because this idea suggests some approval of delinquent behavior, it is not applicable to serious delinquency but may explain minor offenses. According to another major approach termed strain theory, individuals become delinquent when they cannot get what they want through legitimate channels. This view offers a plausible explanation of why individuals may transgress serious barriers of public condemnation and potentially harsh punishment to commit serious criminal acts. It also supports the relationship between race, class, and crime. Social control theorists hypothesize that a weakening of bonds between individuals and social groups frees a person to become delinquent. This concept does not really analyze the motivations behind minor delinquency, but reduced social controls may make the barriers to serious delinquency appear less formidable. Labeling theory can be useful in exploring why some minor delinquents move into serious delinquency. All contemporary theories assume that conformity results when the individual is properly socialized. However, some basic human needs are somewhat resistant to socialization. A distinction between lower needs such as food or shelter and higher needs like prestige or self-actualization, may help to explain why forces which were thought to encourage conformity may produce deviance. Moreover, an analysis of social interactions, higher and lower personal needs, and opportunities for satisfying these needs could explain conformity, minor delinquency, and serious delinquency equally well. A bibliography of 25 references is provided.