Abstract
The task of this paper is to identify the causes of juvenile delinquency and juvenile offending. The French proverb chosen for its title (Step back in order to jump better) reflects the inherent challenge in this task; that is, how far back must we step in order to gain a complete understanding of these causes? Do we commence with adolescence, childhood, birth, pregnancy, conception, or the young person’s parents and their life experiences? How wide a net do we cast? Should we focus primarily on intra-individual factors, or the social ecologies in which young delinquents are found? Every story must have a beginning. In this story about young people who fall off the prosocial developmental trajectory, all sign posts point to attachment and the quality of the child’s first attachment experiences. This review will examine, from attachment and other developmental perspectives, how many of the more proximal causes of delinquency and youth offending have their origins in the emotional deficits suffered in early life. We will argue that delinquent and offending behavior represent attempts to redress these deficits. Consequently, interventions that attempt to prevent offending and reduce recidivism that do not address attachment ruptures and other early deficits cannot expect satisfactory outcomes.
Highlights
Two theories propose a nexus between attachment quality and delinquency—social control theory [1]
Violent young people attract a variety of diagnoses, including oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), ADD with hyperactivity (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), and eventually, as adults, antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) [34]
Homelessness becomes an additional risk for this group, as does offending, which is often triggered when young people begin to associate with delinquent peer groups who are street-wise and already engaging in delinquent and offending behavior
Summary
Two theories propose a nexus between attachment quality and delinquency—social control theory [1]. This subgroup of young offenders tends to come from low income homes and have anti-social parents They are aggressive, impulsive, and dishonest; they engage in under-age smoking and drinking, develop substance use and mental health problems and are in constant conflict with authority figures. They lack strong social ties, associate with anti-social peers, perform poorly at school, are truant, and engage in delinquent acts before progressing to offending. They typically begin to offend before age 12 [28]
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