Stanley Hall approaches the crimes
of adolescence from a physiological standpoint in order to investigate the
hypothetical correlation of criminal behavior to young age. The early parts of Hall’s chapter provide
statistics demonstrating frequencies in which crime occurs across various age
groups in various countries. Certain crimes tend to show up in certain age
groups, such as “Crimes against property” appearing from ages 12 to 20 and
“crimes against persons” appearing from ages 21 to 25. Hall also examines
environmental factors as a potential cause for criminality such as the
transitions to urban and industrial lifestyle, and the effects of poverty on
the tendency of crime.
Much of Hall’s reasoning that is
provided for adolescence criminal behavior points to biological and natural causes,
such as certain traits indicating the likeliness that criminal behavior will
occur (Lack of pity, smaller brains, larger jaws, etc) as well as the idea that
these processes are triggered biologically and are natural. This gives the idea
that the trait of criminality may be detectable and correlates to the
application of social sciences to society to promote social welfare, which we
spoke of in section and lecture as the dominant ideal in the era of
“Youth-as-objects-of-saving-and-study”.
Another important point made by
Hall is the influence of peer groups and rivalry. This concept relates the actions of youth to those of their
peers as a source of motivation for action such as envy or jealously. Hall
attributes reactions of rage among males and underhanded tactics among females
to be common ways of reacting to a stressful situation, which ultimately leads
to the assumption that adolescents are simply morally undeveloped and can be
helped to develop in the correct way (youth-as-dependents). To this light, Hall compares criminals
to overgrown children due to being “egotistic, foppish, impulsive, gluttonous,
and blind to the rights of others.” This relates back to the earlier point of
crimes showing up in certain age groups, as one becomes more “Morally
developed” and older, crimes shift from against “property” to against
“persons”.
The idea of youth criminality as a
biological phenomenon fits well with the dominant ideal of “Youth-as-dependent”
of Hall’s time and nicely works towards the transition or shift to
“Youth-as-objects-of-saving-and-study” that arises as social sciences
advancements are made and looked upon as vessels of social welfare. One can assume
that by studying what makes criminals, future criminals can be prevented or at
least reduced.
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ReplyDeleteThis essay offers a thorough explanation of Hall’s description of the “diminished capacity” which all youth operate under. I was especially interested in your inclusion of the quote from Hall that likens criminals to youth. Hall’s characterization of criminals as having youthful psychology prompts me to ask -- Is Hall arguing that since all criminals are inherently youthful, are all youths inclined to criminality?
ReplyDeleteI am also interested in this essay’s reference to the idea of youth as “super predators” being prevalent in Hall’s reasoning. The “super predator” identity arose to a level of prominence in the 1980s. However, the fact that inklings of “super predator” characterizations of youth can be found in Hall’s work suggests that this idea existed much earlier than is commonly thought. If this is the case, what differentiates the 1980s super predator from the 1910s super predator? The answer may lie in the increased media visibility of the super predator myth in the 1980s, or perhaps the politics of the time. Either way, further examination into the roots of the super predator myth may prove very interesting.
Kamaldeep's essay, I felt, was a good general analysis of Hall's work. I thought that the correlation of criminals being older, disfunctional youth was interesting. This made me think of what we discussed in class about infants having a sort of raw, primitive nature that needs refinement in order to mold the child into a civilized person. This view then went on to say that adolescence was a period of refinement when children learn how to be mature and live up to how society deems appropriate. I find this example relevant because it is almost as if Hall is arguing that these adolescents never were properly reformed as they're supposed to have been.
ReplyDeleteYouth are criminal in nature because of their psychology and hormones, supposedly. This is contrary to the youth as ideal classification and resorts back, as the author said, to the youth as dependents and youth as objects of saving and study.
This essay does an excellent job of explaining Hall's proposed links between adolescence and criminality and connecting Hall's ideas to concepts discussed in lecture. Although the suggested correlation between physiological traits and criminal behavior that Hall puts forth has been thoroughly debunked, much of what Hall has to say about the kinds of crimes youth commit and the motivations for such crime remains relevant (though some aspects of his assertions are questionable at best).
ReplyDeleteAdolescents as a whole are far more likely to commit property crimes and vandalism (arson, theft, etc.) than violent crimes like rape and murder. Additionally, juveniles are prone to group crimes rather than individual, which speaks to the fact that their motivations are different than adults. Crime for adolescents is often committed in an effort to establish and maintain social standing within the peer group. I remain critical, however, of Hall's characterization of male vs. female reactions and the suggestion the being "morally underdeveloped" is what results in criminality. Though it does make sense in the historical context of juvenile justice and the way adolescent criminals have been perceived, I wouldn't consider it sufficient explanation of why young people are more likely to commit property crimes than crimes against persons, or that adult criminals are criminal because they resemble "overgrown children."
I think this essay highlights the Hall reading pretty well. Kamaldeep's association of the view of "youth-as-dependents" as well as "youth-as-objects-of-saving-and-study" in correlation to Hall's study is something I completely agree with. Hall views adolescents as being underdeveloped compared to the rest of society. He especially notes that corrupt youth are, "neurotic, irritable, vain, lacking vigor, very fluctuating in mood, prone to show aberrant tendencies under stress, often sexually perverted at puberty, with extreme shyness or bravado, imitative, not well controlled, and not very well controlled." This description lines up with "youth-as-dependents" because it states that youth who are prone to crime don't have the mental capacity to know what they are doing is wrong and thus need adult supervision. I think that it is important to relate the categories we learned from the beginning half of the class to the psychological part we are learning now so that it helps tie the class together.
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