This course is a general orientation to the concept of delinquency and the field of juvenile justice. Students will examine the nature of delinquency, as well as a variety of theories and suspected causes of delinquent behavior. Students will study factors related to delinquency and/or prevention including gender, youthful behavior, family, peers, drug use, school, and community. This course will also familiarize students with the evolution of juvenile justice and key players in the juvenile justice process. Additionally, students will develop an understanding of the juvenile court process, as well as juvenile detention, restitution, prevention and treatment.
Policies
Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents:
University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document.
Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.
University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.
Course Materials
Siegel, L. J. & Welsh, B. C. (2005). Juvenile delinquency: The core. (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
(Pay close attention to the above reference of the textbook – this is how it is supposed to be cited in ALL of your references per APA manual. Use this citation when citing your textbook ALWAYS.)
Associate Level Writing Style Handbook, available online at https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CWE/pdfs/Associate_level_writing_style_handbook.pdf
All electronic materials are available on the student website.
Week One: Childhood Development and Delinquency
Details
Due
Points
Objectives
1.1 Discuss juvenile accountability.
1.2 Identify the risk factors associated with chronic offenders.
1.3 Identify the pros and cons of Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and self-report data.
Course Preparation
Read the course description and objectives.
Read the instructor’s biography and post your own.
Readings
Read Appendix A regarding the final project requirements.
Read Ch. 1, 2, & 3 of Juvenile Delinquency: The Core.
Participation
Participate in class discussion.
20
Discussion Questions
Respond to weekly discussion questions.
20
CheckPoint
Statistics
Complete the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and Self-Report Data Matrix in Appendix B. To complete this matrix, list two pros and two cons of using UCR data and two pros and two cons of using self-report data.
Locate two web resources—one official and one unofficial—with information about occurrences of delinquency in the United States. Copy and paste the URLs into Appendix B.
Post Appendix B as an attachment.
25
Week Two: Individual Theories of Delinquency
Details
Due
Points
Objectives
2
2.1 Differentiate between general deterrence, specific deterrence, and situational crime prevention.
2.2 Discuss individual theories of delinquency.
CheckPoint
Delinquency Deterrence Response
Write a 300- to 350-word response explaining how the threat of punishment does or does not deter juvenile delinquency. Provide examples of general deterrence, specific deterrence, and situational crime prevention strategies. Additionally, identify which concepts of deterrence you believe offer the best method for controlling juvenile crime.
Due
Day 4
25
Individual
Individual Theories
Resource: pp. 47-80 of Juvenile Delinquency: The Core
Write a 500- to 750-word paper explaining why some adolescents are motivated to commit crimes while others in similar circumstances are not. Support your
