1
Q
Contemporary constructions of youth
A
- The concept of youth is socially constructed (age, social status, social process)
- youth are often regarded gs “at risk” and “as a risk”
→ “at risk”: vulnerable to various negative outcomes and seen as a danger to themselves (eg. Substance abuse, cyberbullying); internalizing problems
→ “as a risk “: engaged in behaviours that threaten others and broader society (eg. Criminal behaviour); externalizing problems
2
Q
Tobacco (at risk)
A
- Tobacco: smoking has transitioned from being “normal” to “deviant”
- youth smoking patterns: 1970 - 1990 = decrease, 1991 - 1999 = increase, 2000+ = decrease
→ the increase was due to Canada reducing taxes on cigarettes to make them more affordable - primary motive is friends, peer pressure, family income/education, parental smoking
- control efforts include legislation, advertising restrictions, anti-smoking campaigns, and individual efforts
3
Q
Illicit drug use (at risk)
A
- Youth are more likely to abuse prescription or over-the-counter medications than illicit drugs
- reasons for use vary: stress relief, social reasons, curiosity, drug use among peers (strong correlation)
→ whether it becomes problematic depends on individual, community, family, and school factors - enslavement hypothesis: the belief that using drugs once will cause addiction
- gateway hypothesis: the belief that using soft drugs will lead to the use of hard drugs
4
Q
Alcohol use (at risk)
A
- “Binge drinking” is of particular concern (higher rates among traditional university students, members of fraternities/sororities, and university athletes)
- university alcohol use has become polarized (facilitated by stringent university policies)
→ people abstain more but there is also an increase in frequent binge-drinkers
→ try to keep drinking off campus but then students associate with casual/frequent drinkers instead - prevention paradox: focus on frequent binge-drinkers rather than occasional binge-drinkers, target individuals rather than the environment of those individuals
- not associated with future alcoholism but does have negative consequences
5
Q
Youth crime (as a risk)
A
- Perceptions of youth crime are very different from the patterns of youth crime (due to moral panics)
→ seen that youth crime is getting out of control even though it is declining and there is low involvement in serious/violent crimes - focusing on youth offenders obscures the fact that youth are disproportionately victims of crimes
- explanations for youth crime:
→ parenting (authoritative parenting style: moderate levels of control/supervision and high levels of affection reduce the likelihood of youth crime)
→ social bonds, self-control, social learning
→ differential association
→ the importance of “mattering”
~ the primary predictor of youth crime is crime within peers (effective parenting can mitigate this) ~
6
Q
Gang-involved youth: causation and motivation (as a risk)
A
Empirical research
→ family indicators (ie. unstable home, non-authoritative parenting style)
→ community indicators (ie. lack of resources, pre-existing gangs)
→ personal indicators (ie. substance abuse, low self-control)
→ school indicators (ie. few opportunities)
Ethnographic research
→ material incentives
→ recreation
→ refuge and camouflage
→ physical protection
→ time to resist (status frustration)
→ commitment to the community (familial traditions)
7
Q
Gang-involved youth: the construction of the gang problem (as a risk)
A
- Media portrayals of gangs are often racialized (creates associations between race and criminality)
- controlling youth crime and gangs:
→ levels of control: formal, informal, retroactive, preventative
→ sites of control: families, communities, and the Criminal Justice System - Canadian youth justice legislation:
→ juvenile delinquents act (1908)—child welfare (parens patriae): believed youth were misguided and needed support, job of the state to keep best interests of the child in mind (probation as punishment)
→ young offenders act (1984)— criminal justice: youth need to be held accountable (high incarceration)
→ youth criminal justice act (2003): more lenient on first-time offenders and harsher punishment for serious offenders
8
Q
Street youth
A
- Defined as individuals who are 25 years of age or younger who are houseless/underhoused
→ runaways (escape from home) versus throwaways (abandoned, kicked out) - risks of street life:
→ decreased rights, opportunities, social supports
→ victimization and exploitation
→ heath risks
→ criminal behaviour
