2. Neutralization
Neutralization is a technique for people to justify a
criminal act
The more someone justifies their actions, the
easier it will be for them to commit the same act
again, and they may get more involved in serious
acts
There are five basic techniques used to justify
themselves
Denial of responsibility
Denial of injury
Denial of the victim
Condemnation of the condemners
Appeal to higher loyalties
3. Denial of Responsibility
This is when the juveniles feel that they do not
have control over their crimes
They feel that they are not responsible for
what they did
Often times, they blame outside sources
Example
Bad family backgrounds
Bad neighborhood
4. Denial of Injury
This is when juveniles believe that as long as
no one got hurt, and no harm was
done, everything is okay
Example
“The insurance will cover it!”
“I was just borrowing it, I would have gave it back!”
5. Denial of the Victim
This is when the juvenile believes that the
victim deserved what they got
“Code of the Street”
Example
Being insulted by the victim
The victim was dishonest
6. Condemnation of the
Condemners
This is when juveniles believe that the people
who condemn them are also engaged in
questionable behavior
Example
The government is corrupt
Parents are alcoholics
7. Appeal to Higher Loyalties
This is when juveniles convince themselves
that it serves a higher purpose
It does more good than harm
Example
Helping friends out
Protecting own things
8. Questions and Answers
Q. How, according to theory, a kid becomes involved in more frequent or
serious delinquent behavior? Why kids continue with or desist from
delinquent behaviors. What could change their behavior?
A. . Neutralization is a technique often used among juveniles.
Neutralization is when a person makes up excuses or justifies their criminal
act. This theory was brought up by Matza and Sykes. Matza and Sykes
were working on juvenile delinquency when they observed some interesting
patterns among the juveniles. Some observations included that the
delinquents felt guilt over their behaviors and that they respect and admire,
honest law-abiding people. Juveniles often know when they are committing
a criminal act. However, often times, they are able to justify their actions
through five basic techniques; denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial
of victim, condemnation of the condemners and appeal to higher loyalties.
Denial of responsibility is when the juveniles feel that they do not have
control over their crimes. They feel that they are not responsible for what
they did. Often times, they blame it on outside sources, such as the way
they were raised up, bad family background, bad neighborhood or peer
pressure. Another technique often used is denial of injury. In this
technique, juveniles believe that as long as no one got hurt, and no harm
was done, everything is okay. An example would be stealing from a
convenience store, and them saying that “there was no harm in stealing
one little cookie… no one would miss it.” The next technique that is often
used is denial of the
9. victim this is also like the “code of the street”. This is when the juveniles
believe that the victim deserved it. An example would be if someone
insulted them, and they punched them for it. Condemnation of the
condemners is another technique in which they use to justify their actions.
Condemnation of the condemners is when juveniles believe that the people
who condemn them are also questionable in their behavior, making it not
okay for the condemners to judge the juvenile. The last technique that we
may try is to appeal to higher loyalties. This technique is used to justify
juveniles actions because it serves a higher purpose; such as helping out a
friend or protecting their own things. Neutralization is a technique often
used by people to justify their criminal acts. Juveniles are often involved
because the rationalization makes sense to them, therefore making it a lot
easier to commit criminal acts. The more you justify yourself when going
against your own beliefs, they easier it would be. Juvenile delinquents get
better each time they justify their actions, in the end growing use to
committing acts that are against the law. The more juveniles continue to
make up excuses for themselves, the easier it will be for them to believe
and give into the excuses. Something that may change their behavior is if
their excuses were proved wrong.
10. Q. According to the theory, what would be some of the warning signs that a
new probation officer should look for to better determine that a new intake
is a high risk delinquent?
A. Based on the theory of Neutralization-Justification and Excuses, there
are five key components that can assist a probation officer with recognizing
a juvenile who may potentially engage in delinquent behavior. The first
would be the juvenile denying responsibility for their actions, or using their
circumstances as an excuse for their own negative behaviors, such as
being a product of their own environment. Second, the juvenile may display
a sense of entitlement, and may see consequences as not a big deal, such
as a third party paying for damages. Third, the juvenile may talk about
things like getting payback, or feeling they have a right to retaliate or
display negative behaviors when they are disrespected, in particular when
they see the other person as the causing factor or when they are dealing
with authority figures. Fourth, a juvenile may try to justify their own negative
behavior by using others behavior as examples, such as comparing what a
parent does to what they are doing. Lastly, a probation officer should take
note as to who the juvenile is associating with, as juveniles sometimes
imitate their peers and their negative behaviors as well.
11. Q. Consistent with the causes of delinquency outlined by your theory, what
are some things that a parent or teacher could do to prevent juvenile
delinquency in an at-risk child, keeping that at-risk child from becoming
delinquent?
A. Why kids continue/ desist from delinquent behavior? What could change
their behavior? Through the development process, children go through
different processes that include different opportunities that an
individual perceives that include involvement in activities and interactions
with others; A certain degree of involvement while interacting with others,
there is a type of recognition that one receives from being involved and
interacting with others, it could be positive/negative reinforcement.
However, the opportunities that are more recognized are perceived to lead
to more involvement leading to more actual involvement, which then leads
to more rewards and recognition. During youth the socializing processes
are consistent, once a bond of social attachment is established, the social
bond inhibits behaviors inconsistent with the beliefs held
and behaviors practiced by the socialization unit through establishment of
an individual’s stake in conforming to the norms, values, and behaviors of
the socializing unit to which he or she is bonded (Hawkins and Weis, 1985;
Catalano and Hawkins, 1996; Hawkins and Catalano, 1987). It can
concluded that the individuals pro-social or anti-social behavior depends
upon the nature of the group members the individual belongs to. The
“social development model” provides an integrative, developmental, and
12. perspective on the nature and causes of delinquency. Continuing of deviant
behavior by adolescents is also due to weakening of social bonds with
conventional others and institutions, leading to greater association with
deviant peers and the subsequent learning of anti-social and delinquent
values. This is common among adolescents who live in a socially
disorganized neighborhood. Due to strain from the groups the individuals
belong to and due to the perceptions of strain there is a weakening of
bonds with conventional groups, activities and norms. Due to the weakened
bond, in conjunction with high levels of strain, lead to the rejection of
conventional values that encourages youth to go out and seek for deviant
peer groups (Elliott, Ageton and Canter, 1979). Therefore these deviant
associations create an environment that lead to anti-social and behavior
and values. However, this essentially increases delinquent and criminal
behavior.
**Bibliography**
*Ayers, C. D., J.H. Williams, J.D. Hawkins, P.L. Peterson, R.F. Catalano and R.D. Abbott. (1999).
Assessing correlates of onset, escalation, de-escalation, and desistance of delinquent behavior. Journal
of Quantitative Criminology, 15, 277–306.
*Catalano, R. F. and J.D. Hawkins. (1996). The Social development model: A theory of antisocial
behavior. In J.D. Hawkins (Ed.), Delinquency and Crime: Current Theories (pp. 149−197). New York:
Cambridge University Press.
*Elliott, D.S., S.S. Ageton and R.J. Canter. (1979). An integrated theoretical perspective on delinquent
behavior. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 16, 3−27.
