Introduction
Belknap and Holsinger (2006) tend to examine how gendered risk factors contribute to the management of delinquency. The researchers’ main argument is that delinquency theories such as General Strain Theory (GST) and the Life-Course Perspective (LCP) have failed to recognize the importance of gender as a risk factor in explaining and dealing with delinquency. As a result, delinquent girls have consistently received harsh and disproportionate treatment in corrective centers and courtrooms. In the article, Belknap and Holsinger (2006) argue that gender is a critical risk factor that should be given greater consideration while dealing with delinquency. The researchers have indicated that less attention has been given to the functions of sexual characteristics in the etiology of delinquency.
Article overview
The article explains how gender is a critical consideration in dealing with criminal behavior. The article is organized in such a way that the main problem is clearly brought out from the beginning (Broidy, 2011). However, the organization of the article does not meet the standards required on a research paper. The researchers failed to indicate the distinct and important sections such as the study objectives, research questions, and the significance of the study. Most importantly, a literature review of the study topic is not clearly indicated (Belknap & Holsinger, 2006). Nevertheless, the article provides clear findings and explanations to the targeted audience.
Definition of the research problem
Gender-specific approaches have been lacking while dealing with delinquency. Both current and past theories have ignored the importance of sex while looking into factors that cause delinquency as well as interventions of criminal behavior both in legal and social perspectives (Bottcher, 2009). Lack of such gender-specific approaches has led to delinquent girls being discriminated against particularly in courtrooms and corrective centers. In such institutions, girls receive hash and disproportionate punishments not in equal measure to their male counterparts.
Research methodology
The researchers applied both qualitative and quantitative research methods in their data collection. The qualitative data centered on the theoretical perspective while the quantitative aspect focused on the primary information from the sampled population of the study. In fact, the researchers’ main methodology was primary data while the theoretical perspective informed the basis of the survey. The quantitative research technique was designed to attain reliable and verifiable results (Zagar et al., 2009). The researchers achieved validity and reliability of the study through adoption of appropriate study design as well as the application of standard instruments for collection and analysis of data. The validity and reliability means that the findings of the study can be applied to gender specific approaches on delinquency including policy and prevention.
Article’s contributions to the existing literature
The findings of the study provide immense understanding of the causes of the delinquency and the way gender risk factors can be applied as part of policy intervention in the cases of criminal behavior. The article achieves this contribution by looking into the theoretical perspectives on the study area and identifying the gap that existed in the gendered approach to delinquency. Secondly, the researchers presented a concise empirical study and outlined the valid and reliable results that are critical in the understanding of the gender factors associated with the delinquency. The article provides an empirical study on the new area of the criminal behavior, which can be applied both in academic cycles and in policy formulations.
Article’s results, findings, and recommendations
The findings indicate that risk factors that cause delinquency are highly gendered. According to the researchers, the gender plays a significant role in the etiology of criminal behavior. Results indicate that gender factors contribute immensely on the criminal behavior particularly on girls (Gaarder & Belknap, 2007). Areas that were identified by the researchers to be having to be having direct influence on gender such as the type of the family, victimization, self-esteem and school experiences indicated positive results. Therefore, gender poses a significant risk factor in the criminal behavior. As such, gender factors should be taken into consideration while understanding as well as dealing with delinquency (Koffman, (2009).
Article critique
The article has contributed greatly on the study topic through a thorough explanation of how gendered factors have contributed to the criminal behavior based on the empirical results. For instance, based on the empirical findings, the article described factors such as abuse and victimization have a great effect on the lives of children (Welsh & Farrington, 2007). The methodology applied in the study was impressive. The primary method provided a concise and accurate empirical data on the gendered factors while the theoretical perspective identified the gap in knowledge. However, the researchers did not clearly bring out the research questions. Therefore, future researches on the study topic should identify a definite research question and the results be based on the questions (Sharp & Love, 2006).
Conclusion
The article explains in detail the study topic. The explanations have been based on the study results. The contents of the article are separated in clear segments to allow increased understanding of the study topic. The researchers have added theoretical perspective to bring out the gap in knowledge on the gendered risks factors. The research methodology is highly effective as it enables the author to obtain information that is credible enough to realize conclusive findings. The journal article also makes a significant contribution to the current literature by providing immense knowledge on the relationship between gendered risk factors and the delinquency.
References
Belknap, J. & Holsinger, K. (2006). The gendered nature of risk factors for delinquency. Feminist Criminology, 1(1), 48-71.
Bottcher, J. (2009). Social practices of gender: How gender relates to delinquency in the everyday lives of high-risk youth. Criminology, 24(6), 89-93.
Broidy, L. (2011). A test of general strain theory. Criminology, 39(2), 9-36.
Gaarder, E. & Belknap, J. (2007). Tenuous borders: Girls transferred to adult court. Criminology, 40(3), 481-517.
Koffman, S. (2009). Impact of a comprehensive whole child intervention and prevention program among youths at risk of gang involvement and other forms of delinquency. Children and Schools, 31(4), 239-45.
Sharp, S. & Love, S. (2006). Disentangling strain, personal attributes affective response and deviance: A gendered analysis. Deviant Behavior, 26(2), 122-157.
Welsh, B. & Farrington, D. (2007). Save children from a life of crime. Criminology & Public Policy, 6(4), 871-79.
Zagar, R., Busch, K. & Hughes, J. (2009). Empirical risk factors for delinquency and best treatments: where do we go from here? Psychological Reports, 104(1), 279-308.