I’m working on a social science case study and need support to help me understand better.

As discussed in the resources this week, the scope of juvenile delinquency may be less clear or nuanced based on pure statistical reporting. In order to create a more complete picture of juvenile delinquency—and to eventually lead to intervention practices—researchers also focus on causes that lead to reported and unreported delinquency.

Is a child violent to others for the thrill of it, or are there dire circumstances in the home that lead to lashing out? Is a youth shoplifting as an act of rebellion, to be able to eat, or to resell the items to support a drug habit? When considering theories of behavior, the cause of the hunger or the drug habit may be the ultimate line of inquiry.

In this Assignment, you analyze the characteristics of juvenile offenders and common theories, seeking to explain causes for juvenile delinquency.

To prepare:

• Read the Week 3 case study found in the Criminal Justice Case Studies: Juvenile Delinquency and Justice document.
• Aspects of the Assignment require you to apply your learning to this case study.

In 750 to 1,250 words, address the following:

• Explain why you would apply a theory to behavior as a way to explain juvenile crime.
• Explain the ways in which theories may or may not be more applicable when used to explain or address juveniles.
• Review the crime described in the Week 3 case study.
• Explain how a specific traditional behavioral theory used to explain juvenile crime can be applied to the crime in the case study. Explain why you chose that theory.
• Determine if and at what points a theory-based intervention could have changed events.