DELINQUENCY AND VIOLENCE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF CRIMINOLOGY (FROM NEURAL BASES OF VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION, 1975, BY W S FIELDS AND W H SWEET - SEE NCJ-57520)

• NCJ Number: 57528
• Author(s): M E WOLFGANG
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 35 pages
• Corporate Author: Warren H Green, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS SYMPOSIUM PAPER PRESENTS SOME IDEAS ABOUT MAN AND VIOLENCE IN GENERAL, CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, AND THE SUBCULTURE OF VIOLENCE, AND THEN EXAMINES A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF DELINQUENCY IN A BIRTH COHORT.

Abstract

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IS NOT A FUNCTION OF GENETICS, BUT RATHER THE RESPONSE TO SOCIALLY DEFINED STIMULI AS LEARNED THROUGH THE CULTURAL TRANSMISSION PROCESS OF SOCIALIZATION. THE FORCES THAT GENERATE CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO CRIME ARE STRONGEST IN THE CITIES, WHERE THERE ARE CONCENTRATIONS OF WEALTH, OPPORTUNITY, AND MOTIVATION. A SUBCULTURE PROFESSING VALUES WHICH ENCOURAGE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR EXISTS IN MANY AREAS AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY FEEL FRUSTRATION OR ANOMIE IN THE PREVAILING CULTURE. RATHER THE SUBCULTURE CONTINUES TO ACT UPON ITS OWN LEARNED SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND BELIEFS. THE WILLINGNESS TO RESORT TO VIOLENCE IS FOUND TO PREDOMINATE IN YOUNGER MALES AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE PROCESSES OF DIFFERENTIAL LEARNING, ASSOCIATION, AND IDENTIFICATION. A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 9,946 MALES BORN IN 1945 INDICATES THAT ALTHOUGH 35 PERCENT OF THE COHORT HAD CONTACT WITH THE POLICE BEFORE REACHING AGE 18, ONLY 6.3 PERCENT WERE CLASSIFIED AS CHRONIC OFFENDERS. RECIDIVISM BY INDIVIDUALS IN THE CHRONIC OFFENDER CLASS INDICATES THE OPERATION OF THE LEARNING PROCESS IN REINFORCING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. INTERVENTION BY SOCIAL WORKERS SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE CHRONIC OFFENDERS FOR THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE USE OF RESOURCES. DISPERSION OF VIOLENT SUBCULTURES THROUGH INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES AND RESIDENTIAL CHOICE TO ALL CLASSES OF CITIZENS, URBAN RENEWAL, AND HOUSING PROJECTS IS ALSO POSSIBLE. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.