List and describe three reasons experts provide as to why crime ...

[melina_rosy]

List and describe three reasons experts provide as to why crime declines with age. Which of the reasons do you find most viable? Provide a rationale for your views.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Discuss the two cultural forces addressed in the Code of the Streets. What is at the heart of the code? Would you agree with this theory or disagree? Explain.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[zacnyjessica]

Answer to Question 1

Students should list three of the five reasons below.

 Growing older means having to face the future
o Young people, especially the indigent and antisocial, tend to discount the future
o They see no reason to delay gratification when faced with an uncertain future
o As they mature, troubled youths are able to develop a long-term life view and resist the need for immediate gratification
 With maturity comes the ability to resist the quick fix to their problems
o Research shows that some kids may turn to crime as a way to solve the problems of adolescence, loneliness, frustration, and fear of peer rejection
o As they mature, conventional means of problem solving become available
o Life experience helps former delinquents seek nondestructive solutions to their personal problems
 Maturation coincides with increased levels of responsibility
o Petty crimes are risky and exciting social activities that provide adventure in an otherwise boring world
o As youths grow older, they take on new responsibilities that are inconsistent with criminality
 For example, young people who marry, enlist in the armed services, or enroll in vocational training courses are less likely to pursue criminal activities
 Personalities can change with age
o As youths mature, rebellious youngsters may develop increased self-control and be able to resist antisocial behavior
o In adulthood, people strengthen their ability to delay gratification and forgo the immediate gains that law violations bring
o They also start wanting to take responsibility for their behavior and to adhere to conventional mores, such as establishing long-term relationships and starting a family
o Getting married, raising a family, and creating long-term family ties provide the stability that helps people desist from crime
 Young adults become more aware of the risks that accompany crime
o As adults, they are no longer protected by the relatively kindly arms of the juvenile justice system
 Student answers will vary

Answer to Question 2

 Decent values are taught by families committed to middle-class values and representing mainstream goals and standards of behavior. Though they may be better off financially than some of their street-oriented neighbors, they are generally working poor.. They value hard work and self-reliance and are willing to sacrifice for their children; they harbor hopes for a better future for their children. Most go to church and take a strong interest in education. Some see their difficult situation as a test from God and derive great support from their faith and from the church community.
 In opposition, street values are born in the despair of inner-city life and are in opposition to those of mainstream society. The street culture has developed what Anderson calls a code of the streets, a set of informal rules setting down both proper attitudes and ways to respond if challenged. If the rules are violated, there are penalties and sometimes violent retribution.
 At the heart of the code is the issue of respectloosely defined as being treated right.. The code demands that disrespect be punished or hard-won respect will be lost. With the right amount of respect, a person can avoid being bothered in public. If he is bothered, not only may he be in physical danger, but he has been disgraced or dissed (disrespected). Some forms of dissing, such as maintaining eye contact for too long, may seem pretty mild. But to street kids who live by the code, these actions become serious indications of the other person's intentions and a warning of imminent physical confrontation.
 Student responses will vary.