Introduction
Every individual seeks to find an explanation for every object and phenomenon surrounding him. Therefore, numerous conspiracy theories and foreign government notions are prevalent today. Human beings tend to seek out links and interdependencies where none exist and to seek out supporters of their illusions. That is why it is extremely important to think critically and apply the laws of logic when analyzing every fact a person learns from the media or other sources.
Main Body
For centuries, lawyers, legislators, and representatives of law enforcement agencies have been trying to find the root cause of the existence of such a phenomenon as juvenile delinquency. Because this aspect is found in the animal world, the definition of its determining cause cannot be restricted to one component. Individual-level characteristics are substantial determinants of self-reported deviant behavior, but there is no evidence of a link between community performance and juvenile misbehavior. This conclusion underscores the importance of addressing the interests of adolescents in society as part of community-level treatments to avoid adolescent criminality. The relevance of reframing in the cultural and financial elements determining where a person resides is highlighted by sociodemographic indicators and misbehavior (Gearhart and Tucker). Therefore, the correlation between poverty and juvenile delinquency is spurious due to the limited understanding and simplification of the causes.
The phenomenon of juvenile delinquency is a complex issue, the existence of which is caused by many factors that may not be related to each other. These include neglectful parenting (regardless of family income, as minors seek to attract attention by doing so), alcohol and drug abuse, and the romanticization of this lifestyle in popular culture. The influence of gangs should not be overlooked, as a minor may get into them because of financial matters or friends’ impact. Consequently, a person’s background is one of the key, but not the determining reasons for committing crimes by minors because they can also be committed by the rich due to a sense of impunity and permissiveness.
Correlation research can provide one of three outcomes: a constructive relation, a detrimental correlation, or no connectedness. If an alteration in X does not affect Y, there is no correlation. One example of absurd codependences is the ratio of monthly income from ice cream in New York to monthly income from ski rentals in Utah. However, the decrease of one variable may occur against the background of the growth of another. For example, in the summer season, the demand for ski rentals will be zero, while the demand for ice cream in New York will skyrocket. According to such examples, there is a need to investigate the causes of changes in these variables.
Suppose anyone would irresponsibly manipulate the numbers and not consider the intermediate factor between these variables – the seasons. In that case, it can be argued that these aspects have a negative correlation. To prove it, it is possible to point out that in winter, the income from the rental of mountain skis is much higher, while the demand for ice cream will drop to a relatively low level. That is, the opposite dependence of these indicators will be obvious. Another aspect influencing these factors is the scenario arising from COVID-19. There was a need for isolation due to the constraints on avoiding transmitting the infection. As a result, people could not visit ski resorts, which lowered the interest in ski rentals, but the stress caused by the isolation increased the demand for ice cream to cope with the anxiety of consuming sweets.
Conclusion
When considering such examples, it is worth understanding that there is not always a correlation between the increase and decrease of unrelated variables. It is worth paying attention to the intermediate factors, which affect each variable differently. Therefore, the independent flow creates a difference in the results. Critical thinking and following the laws of logic are the keys to identifying unspurious interdependencies and constantly searching for all factors that may influence specific variables.
Work Cited
Gearhart, Michael C., and Riley Tucker. “Criminogenic risk, criminogenic need, collective efficacy, and juvenile delinquency.” Criminal justice and behavior 47.9 (2020): 1116-1135. Web.