Chicago School Theory

Essay # 30320

Criminology > Juvenile Justice
Education > Theory
Political Science

Discusses the usefulness of Chicago School Theory as a tool for explaining the growth of gangs in cities where gangs had not conventionally been dynamic.

2,573 words () | 7 sources | APA | 2003 Pakistan

Paper Summary:

This paper explains in depth the rationality of the theory known as the Chicago School Theory which rationalizes why urban and delinquent crime develop in certain areas and over certain periods of time. It discusses the development of this theory and why it is applicable to the problem of gangs and juvenile delinquency.

From the Paper:

"Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay noted that juvenile delinquents tended to live in certain neighborhoods. It did not take long for the two researchers to begin looking at the high-delinquency neighborhoods to see what made them different from neighborhoods that had less delinquency. They found that delinquents appeared to come from neighborhoods characterized by low rental fees, a high incidence of individuals supported by public assistance, a high percentage of industrial (low-level blue collar) workers, and a high rate of individuals moving into and out of the area (i.e., the population is in flux)."