As we will discuss, there are many dimensions of delinquency. We will also talk about how most people have committed a delinquent act at some point in their childhoods. They may not have gotten caught, decided not to pursue more systematic forms of delinquent behavior, or, perhaps, they were punished for their transgressions and this deterred them from future activity. It might also be what some call the maturation effect. This is the process where people simply grow up and the excitement that the activity offers is no longer appealing.
Select a population of offenders to study empirically. This can consist of status offenders (as you will read more about), gang members, juvenile fire starters, sex offenders, prostitutes, or some other population. Once you have a firm understanding of the nature of this population (using Uniform Crime Reports, Juvenile Justice statistics, other reports and research studies, including the most effective treatment programs for your population), your task is to interview juvenile justice officials and others (such as counselors and therapists) who interact with this population (it is unlikely that you will gain access to the youths themselvesconfidentiality issues as well as locating them will prove quite difficult) and interview them. Find out more about the nature of the population and how the system addresses these particular offenders.
As I mentioned, you should plan on doing a literature review (beyond your texts) BEFORE going into the field. Whether you realize it or not, you are conducting original sociological research. As such, you must follow the rules that researchers use in conducting social science research. In short, a lit review helps you frame some of your questions, understand the nature of the problem, and prevents you from making careless mistakes.
After collecting your data, and, drawing from the relevant literature, you should prepare a report of your experiences, insights, and an assessment that is not less than fifteen pages. Also, try to find the sociological significance of your observations and experiences. How do the theories we discussed in the course help you to understand the larger picture?
