ARTS social disorganisation theory
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Select one of the criminological theories or perspectives that we studied this semester and
evaluate whether it is useful for understanding the ‘problem’ of youth crime in Victoria. As
part of y
...
our evaluation, you should consider whether any other theories or perspectives might
help to address its explanatory limitations. You must provide evidence and specific examples
to support your analysis.
The social disorganization theory, developed by Clifford Shaw and Henry D. McKay,
researchers from the ‘Chicago School’ offers a critical perspective on looking at the
‘problem’ of youth crime in Victoria, and effectively gives a breakdown of the relevant
factors. The social disorganisation theory refers to the link between urban ecology and the
rates of juvenile delinquency. It asserts that the cause of youth delinquency is not the
individual itself, but instead a normal response to unfavourable ‘social, structural, and
cultural characteristics of a community’ (Wong, 2002). In other words, individuals in a
community where there is a lack of social control and cohesion, and a failure to realise
common goals and standards results in unrestrained behaviour, thus leading to delinquency.
In turn, correlating the ecological environment individuals are in to the reason behind for
youth crime. The arising problem of youth crime is a pressing issue, with a ‘heavier
concentration of offenders in Victoria aged between 16 and 24 than for older age groups’
(ABS NEWS, 2018) , thus it is essential to be able to understand youth crime and how to
prevent it. Here is where social disorganisation serves to explain a few of the causes of youth
crime, by addressing the idea that it is the location, not the individual, that is to be held
accountable for youth crime rates. Additionally, areas with a lower socio-economic status will
experience higher rates of crimes than higher socio-economic areas. Lastly, the theory
explains why some (socially organised) areas may have a lower crime rate with the concepts
of collective efficacy and social cohesion. However, it is also not without limitations, with the
1Yang Jun Gu
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Social disorganization theory
introduction of other criminological theories such as the routine activity theory that can serve
to further and more completely understand the problem of juvenile delinquency.
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