To what extent would sociologist agree that the young people who commit crime do so because they have different norm and values from the rest of society?

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To what extent would sociologist agree that the young people who commit crime do so because they have different norm and values from the rest of society?

Crime ‘is an act of which breaks the criminal law of a society.’ Crimes are committed due to many reasons such as family norms and values and peer pressure. In this essay, I will be discussing whether young people commit crimes as they have different norms and values as well as other factors.

Young people committing crimes may be a result of socialisation and upbringing. Family has a big effect on socialisation and it is their responsibility to teach the youngsters norms and values which they are expected to behave.  However, if it is a dysfunctional family, then within the family home there is no ‘proper structure’ or a disciplined framework for which the children is guided on his behaviour.  For example, a 10 year old boy was given an Asbo along with his father who was given a parenting order. Good role models within a family is important as if a family consists of a role model such as the father in the example, then the child is not to be blamed as if his father is behaving in that manner, then it is obvious that the boy must have learnt these values and norms.

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As well as that, young people may commit crimes due to their past experiences. Brym and Lie (2003) believe that ‘early childhood experiences bear a lasting impression on the individual unique personalities that everyone develops.’ According to hickey (1991), stress caused in childhood may trigger to criminal behaviour and in the future, if the person does not have the ability to cope with the stress than they may turn to serious crimes like killing.

Although, some sociologists believe that socialisation is the main factor, other sociologists argue that there are other factors such as per pressure, opportunities ...

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