Sampson, Robert J.; Laub, John H. (1993), Crime in the Making : Pathways and Turning Points through Life, Harvard University Press, pp. 3-320.
This article is important because it discusses developmental theory. A person’s life-span development must acknowledge the importance of one’s behavior in childhood, but it is apparent that adult social factors have relevance to this issue as well. A child can become greatly affected by things that happen during his/her developmental stages. Those incidences that happen to a person in the formative years have a lasting impression. When a child is abused, insulted, or traumatized in any way, it sticks with him/her.
Sampson, Robert J.; Laub, John H. (1993, May), Structural variations in juvenile court processing: inequality, the underclass, and social control, (Crime, Class, and Community –
An Emerging Paradigm), Law & Society Review, 27 n2 pp. 285-311.
This article is important because Sampson and Laub posit that a better understanding needs to be made of the social forces involved in creating the juvenile delinquent. Empirical evidence was studied utilizing in excess of 200 counties in the United States in the structural context of conflict theory and its ideas concerning juvenile delinquency. Racial inequality and poverty were found. Racial inequality and poverty appear to be among the main conflicts that conflict theory employs.
Saulters-Tubbs, Cecilia (1993, June), Prosecutorial and judicial treatment of female narcotic offenders, Federal Probation, 57 n2 pp. 37-42.
This article is important because it gives an account of the research in which conflict theory and social control theory were tested. Conflict theory maintains that females receive more lenient treatment than males do. Social control theory maintains that female offenders are treated more harshly. The conclusion reached was that the gender of the offender had little influence on the criminal justice system. Conflict theorists maintain that when a female receives treatment that is more lenient it is due to the chivalrous and/or paternalistic nature of the criminal justice system.
Schweitzer, Robert D.-Hier, Sally J.-et al (1994, 1 January), Parental bonding, family systems, and environmental predictors of adolescent homelessness, Journal of Emotional & Behavioral Disorders, pp. PG. *PG Refers To Electronic Text Obtained From: http:www.elibary.com
This article is important because it discusses the theories of early psychological and sociological theorists who tended to equate homelessness of young people and delinquency. They used the terms homeless, runaway, and delinquent interchangeably. External environmental influences were generally emphasized by sociological theories. Strain theory, for example, portrayed delinquent youths acting out in anger and frustration over their limited opportunities in an unequal class structure. According to this perspective, disorganized environments contribute to delinquent subcultures. Those subcultures arise out of collective attempts to achieve material success.
Skinner, William F.; Feam, Anne M. (1997, November), A social learning theory analysis of computer crime among college students, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, v34
n4 pp. 495(24).
This article is important because it shows that there is a social theory analysis that can be associated with crime. Skinner and Feam are able to show that measures of differential association, differential reinforcement and punishment, definitions, and sources of imitation are significantly related to computer crime.
Thoits, Peggy A. (1995, June 1), Social psychology: the interplay between sociology and psychology,” Social Forces, pp. PG. *PG Refers To Electronic Page Obtained From:
http://www.elibrary.com
This article is important because it shows that sociologists spend a great deal of time attempting to explain the deviant behavior of juvenile delinquency. Their etiological theories have generated extensive research in the areas of anomie theory, conflict theory, control theory, differential association/learning theory, and labeling theory. Sociologists have used the research of such psychologists as Asch, Cartwright, Milgram, and Sherif.
Thornberry, Terence P. (1996, August), Developmental Theories of Crime and Delinquency (Advances in Criminological Theory, Vol. 7), Transaction Pub., pp. 3-300.
This book is important because Terence P. Thornberry gets to the important aspect of why more than one theory can explain crime. He presents empirical research as evidence. Delinquency is criminal behavior. It is advantageous to look at the developmental stages of a person that turns to a life of crime/delinquency. This has a major role in explaining juvenile delinquency.
Warr, Mark (1993, September), Parents, peers, and delinquency, Social Forces, v72 n1 pp. 247(18).
This article is important because it shows that criminologists have long recognized the importance of family and peers in the etiology of delinquency. These two influences are commonly analyzed in isolation. However, if peers are treated as potential instigators of delinquency (following differential association theory) and parents as potential barriers to delinquency (following control theory), a crucial question emerges: Is parental influence capable of counteracting the influence of delinquent peers? When a child spends time with his/her family the influence of his/her peers is reduced. Data from the National Youth Survey confirms this, in fact (Warr, 1993).
Wolfe, Connie T.; Spencer, Steven J. (1996, November-December), Stereotypes and prejudice: their overt and subtle influence in the classroom, (Multiculturalism and Diversity in Higher
Education), American Behavioral Scientist, v40 n2 pp. 176(10).
This article is important because it examines forms of prejudice and stereotyping that are subtle and overt. Overt prejudice is explained by social identity theory and realistic conflict theory. Overt prejudice, however, seems to have decreased. Another theory, aversive racism theory explains why subtle stereotyping continues to exist. These are important concept in conflict theory.
Wong, Siu Kwong (1997, September), Delinquency of Chinese-Canadian youth: a test of opportunity, control, and intergeneration conflict theories, Youth & Society, v29 n1 pp.
112(22).
This article is important because it compares youths in other nations to determine if juvenile delinquency exists in those countries. It has been shown that youths in America and Canada have more delinquency than those in China do. Wong suggests that this is because the Chinese culture puts an emphasis on positive influences. A study was done comparing adolescents in Canada with those in China using the three perspectives of opportunity, control, and intergeneration conflict theories.