age

• Edgework


  Lyng - Involves voluntary risky activities for a thrilling experience near fear/danger/illegality.

  Some youth commit crimes for the adrenaline rush, not material gain - risk of getting caught adds to the thrill.

  Edgework allows escape from the 'normal & boring'.

  Criminal edgework vents 'hypermasculinity' via 'badness'.

  Gang membership provides edgework opportunities.
• Strengths of Edgework


  Provides insight into the emotional and experimental motivations behind youth criminal behaviour beyond just material gain.

  Explains how criminal acts can provide a thrilling, visceral experiences and escape from mundane routines.

  Connects criminal edgework to construction of hyper masculinity and cultivating a 'badness image
• Weaknesses of Edgework


  Focuses primarily on young males from a middle-class perspective.

  Overlooks structural factors that push some towards crime, eg. social exclusion.

  Lacks explanatory depth on root causes of edgework, motivations
• Age and social status

  Turner - Age is a key status characteristic that shapes one's rights, roles & expectations in society.

  Different age groups have varying levels of social status & power.

  Low status age groups (teens) have less stake in conformity, more motivation for deviance.

  High status groups (adults) face more informal/formal controls deterring deviance.

  Overall, age differentials in status, power, controls & associations shape varying deviance patterns.
• Strengths of Age and social status

  Highlights how age matters for one's status and deviance potential.

  Considers age-based roles, expectations and social controls.

  Allows deviance patterns to vary by age groups
• Weaknesses of Age and social status

  May oversimplify age-status relationship.

  Lack nuance in examining diversity within age groups.

  Describes deviance patterns more than root causes.

  Age may not always be the primary status driving deviance.
• Adolescence as a risk period

  McVie's Edinburgh study - a major longitudinal project that followed a large group of people from childhood to adulthood.

  Ppts self-reported offenses/delinquent behaviour they had committed.

  Found most offending/delinquent behaviour peaked during adolescence 15-18.

  3 distinct groups that showed different pathways of offending;

  1. Early starters who began offending in childhood

  2. Late starters who began offending in adolescence

  3. Non-offenders who committed little to no delinquency.

  Major life events and changes were linked to decreases in offending.

  Adolescence is a very high risk time, but life events in early adulthood can help people away from crime
• Strengths of Adolescence as a risk period

  Followed the same large group of people for many years.

  Asked ppts about crimes they'd committed.

  Could identify different pathways of offending over the life course.
• Weaknesses of Adolescence as a risk period

  Only looked at people from Edinburgh, so may not apply everywhere.

  Self-report data has potential to be unreliable/untruthful responses.

  Doesn't explain why some individuals follow different pathways.

  Very serious/violent crimes may have different age pathways.
• Positivist victimology


  Miles - Positive victimology has 3 features;

  1. Aims to identify patterns in victimisation by pinpointing high-risk individuals/groups.

  2. Focuses on interpersonal violent crimes.

  3. Aims to identify victims who contributed to their own victimisation.

  It is argued that people contribute towards their own victimhood through certain characteristics/behaviours.

  Young people are more likely to be victims than middle-aged people - could be because they're more likely to get drunk be out late, etc.

  CSEW 2017 - people who regularly attended nightclubs were significantly more likely to be a victim of crime than those who don't.
• Strengths of Positivist victimology

  Accused of being victim blaming.

  In 2011, a Canadian police constable told a student group that 'young women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not be be victimised'.

  Led to postmodern feminists 'slut walks' protests.
• Weaknesses of Positivist victimology

  Takes blame away from criminals.

  An open window is not an invitation to enter a home and steal property, the same way a revealing dress is not an invitation to be attacked.

  Blames victims for putting temptation in the way of criminals
• Activities - youth more susceptible to crime

  Routine activities - teenager's routine activities can routinely bring them into contact with potential offenders more often than adults.

  Online vulnerability - higher tech usage among youth can expose them to online risks, eg. cyberbullying or online predators.
• Strengths of Activities - youth more susceptible to crime


  Routine activities - provides a plausible account of how youth's daily routines and activities increase their exposure to potential offenders and risky circumstances compared to adults with different routines.

  Online vulnerability - highlights how higher technology immersion among youth creates new criminal opportunities, eg. cyberbullying, sextortion.
• Weaknesses of Activities - youth more susceptible to crime

  Routine activities - generalises youth's routine when in reality there is diversity in how teens spend time based on factors like social class.

  Online vulnerability - overstates the online risks faced by youth, as adults also face online dangers, eg. scams