Antisocial behavior can be found regardless of culture. Delinquency is a normal response by youth to the social conditions created by capitalist society (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). Social conflict theory asserts, that individual behavior is connected to conflicts within the group and between the groups. It is common in contemporary society.
There exist two elements of culture, which interact and create conflict between them: on one side, it is culturally defined goals, and on the other – socially approved means to achieve these goals. Lower-class youths fail to meet the standards of life, imposed by these goals, and this makes a primary cause of delinquency. They experience frustration and conflict. Membership in a deviant subculture often involves conforming to group norms that conflict with those of conventional society (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). This subculture becomes a shelter from morals.
In this case, the process of enculturation has failed. To be more precise, the individual has not accepted conventional behavior within the society and his or her particular status within the culture. The individual is not an accepted member of the society, because he rejects its norms and values.
Besides open, obvious values, there exist secret values; they look like moral values, have been established in the society, but are publicly reproached. They may be admired or practiced in private. These values substitute real ones, and young people may pattern their behavior on them. They can be found in families and subcultures. These norms take their sources in childhood when children often develop their own culture. Unique traditions, words, rules, and activities, accepted among children or only by an individual, often conflict with parental and adult values, conventional in the society.
Thus, culture conflict occurs, when children are exposed to different and opposing attitudes toward what is right and wrong (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). As these oppositions are widespread in society, conflicts are inevitable. In the capitalist society, one of the values and indicators of social status is money.
Thus, the children of the lower class are forced to seek solutions to their problems. Youths begin to steal, sell drugs, or extort money to provide for a better life.
Our society tries to find means to reduce conflicts. Because delinquent acts are sometimes the result of extreme provocation, it might be possible to reduce delinquency rates by creating programs that reduce conflict (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). Some measures can be taken in the social, economic, and political spheres. For example, improvement of the socialization of lower-class youths and giving them more chances to get jobs in the legal economy, as well as developing conflict avoidance skills both at school and in the family.
There is no denying the fact, that family relation and atmosphere influence greatly the child and play a significant role in his identification as a personality. That is why parents (or guardians) should control behavior. It will make criminal acts more difficult to perform, because the reward from crimes will be reduced, and the risks will be increased. The inclination to commit the delinquent act is permanent, but the opportunity for it varies. Some people give a recipe to make a child spend more time with parents and less with friends, but forbidden fruit is sweetest, and a child can strive for hanging out with a crowd. The adults in charge should be aware of sites and situations, which may provoke conflict.
In conclusion, we can enumerate the most spread measures, which help to avoid conflicts. In family relations relying on a significant adult will help a child to feel secure. Engagement in positive free-time activities will prevent him from wasting time and seeking adventures. The skills in problem-solving and conflict resolution can be developed both at school and in the family.
Reference List
Siegel, L. J., Welsh, B. C. (2008). Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. NY: Wadsworth Publishing Company.