NCJ Number
64494
Journal
CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 1 Issue: 9 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 3-22
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
SOCIOPATHIC AND DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AMONG TODAY'S YOUNG PEOPLE IN A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON OF UNPRECEDENTED PROPORTIONS, THE CAUSES OF WHICH CANNOT BE FOUND IN THE TRADITIONAL GENERATION GAP AND YOUTHFUL HIGH SPIRITS.
Abstract
THROUGHOUT HISTORY YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE REBELLED AGAINST THEIR PARENTS, VALUES AND EXPERIMENTED WITH UNCONVENTIONAL BEHAVIOR TO SHOCK THEIR ELDERS AND ASSERT THEIR OWN INDIVIDUALITY. FORMERLY, HOWEVER, YOUNG PEOPLE OUTGREW THEIR YOUTHFUL EXCESSES AND MATURED INTO SOCIALLY INTEGRATED CITIZENS. THE PHENOMENON OF YOUTHFUL ALIENATION AND SOCIOPATHIC BEHAVIOR IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS, SPREADING BEYOND ALL NATIONAL BOUNDARIES AND THREATENING TO DESTROY AN ALREADY WEAKENED SOCIETY. STRONG SEXUAL DRIVES AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AGGRESSION WERE ALWAYS PART OF THE YOUTH SYNDROME, BUT IN THE PAST THESE PRIMORDIAL INSTINCTS WERE CHANNELED CONSTRUCTIVELY INTO RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASM, PHYSICAL EXERCISE, THE ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE THROUGH EDUCATION, AND WORK. THE SEXUAL DRIVE WAS TAMED INTO LOVE FOR A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSITE SEX. TODAY'S YOUNG PEOPLE LEARN NEXT TO NOTHING IN SCHOOL, VENT THIER AGRESSION IN DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR, VANDALISM, AND FIGHTS; EVEN THEIR SO-CALLED RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES OFTEN CULMINATE IN EXPLOSIONS OF UNRESTRAINED MOB VIOLENCE. THE FORMER WORK ETHIC HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE NEED FOR ESCAPING FROM ALL RESPONSIBILITIES, OFTEN THROUGH DRUGS. ALIENATED FROM THE REST OF SOCIETY AND THE WORLD OF THEIR ELDERS, YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN GANGS AND FORM DEVIANT SUBCULTURES. THEY NO LONGER HAVE IDEALS, ONLY SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CYNICISM AND ARE NO LONGER PROUD, NOR SELF-ASSURED, BUT RIDDEN WITH INFERIORITY COMPLEXES AND ANXIETIES, FOR WHICH THEY TRY TO COMPENSATE BY STRIDENT AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. LOVE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY UNRESTRAINED EROTICISM, CATERED TO IN ALL FORMS BY THE MASS MEDIA AND THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY. YOUNG MEN REGARD WOMEN AS SEX OBJECTS TO BE USED, OFTEN ABUSED. THE FAULT LIES WITH SOCIETY ITSELF, WHICH HAS LOST ITS TRADITIONAL VALUES, AND WITH THE OLDER GENERATION, WHICH NO LONGER OFFERS MODELS OF EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOR FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION TO IMITATE. --IN SPANISH. (LGR)