Labeling Theory

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer explores labeling theory and looks at its specific relevance to the condition of juvenile delinquency. The effects of negative as well as positive labeling are discussed and reviewed for its particular impact on the younger offender. Also considered is the part that labeling theory, as well as other social interactions, has played in affecting the justice system's sentencing of juvenile offenders. The writer maintains that though labeling theory focuses primarily on the negative impact on juveniles, it has also played a part in correcting many misuses of power in the justice system.

Outline:
Abstract
Conclusion
References

From the Paper:

"That being said, while PEN may be a predictor of a tendency to evaluate a juvenile's environment in a more negative fashion, the adding of labeling and the stigmatization of stereotyping youthful offenders would certainly add to the overall profile of a blooming career criminal. There are, of course, opposing ideas to this framework. Some believe that labeling theorist are missing a larger piece of the puzzle when they attribute overwhelming importance to the stigma imposed by society and the labeling framework. The initial incentive for rule breaking may be caused by many sources, but labeling theorists have a tendency to believe that ongoing rule breaking is the conceptualizing of a poor self image from labeling bias."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adams, M. S., Robertson, C. T., Gray-Ray, P., & Ray, M. C. (2003). Labeling and Delinquency. Adolescence, 38(149), 171-177.
• Barlow, H. D. (Ed.). (1995). Crime and Public Policy: Putting Theory to Work. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
• Bartusch, D. J., & Matsueda, R. L. (1996). Gender, Reflected Appraisals, and Labeling: A Cross-Group Test of an Interactionist Theory of Delinquency. Social Forces, 75(1), 145-176.
• Braithwaite, J. (1995). 11 Reintegrative Shaming, Republicanism, and Policy. In Crime and Public Policy: Putting Theory to Work, Barlow, H. D. (Ed.) (pp. 191-205). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
• Carroll, A., Hemingway, F., Bower, J., Ashman, A., Houghton, S., & Durkin, K. (2006). Impulsivity in Juvenile Delinquency: Differences among Early-Onset, Late-Onset, and Non-Offenders. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(4), 519-525

More papers on Labeling Theory:

• Analytical Essay # 126428 : "Labeling Theory"
• Essay # 65066 : "Labeling Theory"
• Essay # 23618 : "Labeling Theory"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: