NCJ Number
182496
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 157-170
Date Published
May 2000
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article presents a theoretical framework that addresses the limitations of mainstream structural theories and the colonial model in explaining high rates of crime and violence among black youths.
Abstract
Two traditional structural explanations for high concentrations of crime and delinquency are social disorganization and strain theories. However, these theories have four theoretical limitations. Recent revisions of traditional structural explanations have addressed some of these limitations. The colonial model describes how the process of colonialization affects the structural and cultural status of minority individuals. This model’s logic also has flaws. An alternative model is a neocolonial model that analyzes the effects of race, social class, and the interactive effects of these variables on structural experiences and that illustrates how these factors affect attitudes and behaviors. The model makes both intergroup and intragroup comparisons and posits that lower-class black youth, especially males, are at the greatest risk of selecting violent and criminal responses. The neocolonial model is an individual-level theory. Further research should consider the possible expansion of the model for macrolevel analysis. Notes and 68 references (Author abstract modified)