Why Most Convicted Criminals are Young, Male and Working-Class :: Free Essay Writer

Why Most Convicted Criminals are Young, Male and Working-Class Official crime statistics show that young, working-class males commit most crime. The following are some reasons that I can think of to explain these generalisations. Young ===== I think young people commit crime as they are out of the age group when their parents closely supervise them. Their curfews may have been extended and parents tend to give them a bit more space, privacy and freedom. They are no longer treated as children but are denied the same rights and responsibilities as adults. This can make them feel deprived of status in society and suffer from what sociologists call status frustration. This simply means that they are frustrated their lack of independent status in society. They are also at the stage when their friends are an important part of their (social) life. They want to impress their mates as well as searching for thrills and status among the peer group. Their peer group provides them some support on things to do with school and family and therefore become of great significance. The majority of young people lack responsibilities that include having children, keeping a job and financial demands such as rent or mortgage. The lacking of responsibilities such as these as well as looking for thrills among the peers can often glide young people in the direction of deviant acts that sometimes collide with the law. They might give up these criminal careers, as they grow older due to things such as marriage, parenthood, buying and looking after a home of their own etc. Another reason for why young people engage in crime could be due to the fact that their parents and teachers can no longer control their behaviour. Some sort of breakdown of behaviour control at home and at school may have occurred. These are the only explanations I can find for why a lot of criminals are young. Their offences usually involve trivial things like shoplifting, under-age drinking and are usually peer group related.