Social Sciences Case Study: Juvenile Crimes Theories (Case Study Sample)

Juvenile crimes theories
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Juvenile crimes theories
It was on April 20, 1999, at around 11 a.m. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrived at the school in separate cars. The two boys went to the school cafeteria and left two gym bags containing a 20-pound propane bomb each. When the devices failed to blow up, they then launched a shooting against their classmates. It is one of the deadliest massacres ever witnessed in high school perpetrated by high school students leaving 12 students dead, one teacher dying and 24 others wounded and most were in very critical condition. At around noon, the police had arrived, and the pair of students had returned to the library. They opened fire on the police outside and later walked to the bookshelves where some of the victims lay on the floor. They were heard by a teacher, student and the library staff who had locked themselves in a break room shouting in unison "One! Two! Three!" followed by the sound of gunfire("In School and Around", 2007).
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were known to be so unpopular and were ever targets of bullying. Before the crime, the two had been convicted of breaking into a van of which each received ten-month juvenile and intervention counseling and community services. The court ordered for anger management therapy of which Harris was required to take drugs to assist him to control his anger(KARAHAN, YALÇIN, & ERBAŞ, 2015).
After the arrest, Klebold wrote a letter to Harris how they would have so much fun revenging by killing the cops. In his journal, Klebold wrote on his view that they were "god-like." he saw that they were more evolved than any other human in the world. Klebold was known to swear to his teachers and fought with his boss at Blackjack-pizza. Although both had problems in controlling anger, Klebold’s anger brought him more problems than Harris. In some home recorded videos, the pair discussed their motives for the attacks and gave instructions in bomb-making.
During the massacre, the pair were asking other classmates if they believed in God, one of the students allegedly said yes and was shot. Another was asked if she believed in God and was left. This brings a confusion in understanding if the killers were against Christians or not.
There are different theories that may tend to explain the perpetrator's actions. The sociological theory may tend to explain better because basically when we take a keen look at the events before and during the massacre, it kind of revenge going on, out of what they had done to them. In their journals, anger and the feeling of revenge is clearly noted as most of the writings entails how the revenge would take place. After the pair being arrested and convicted, we see that Klebold wrote a letter to Harris on them taking revenge. Klebold also wrote that life had no fun without death, and he would spend his last moments in a massive bloodshed. He concluded by writing that he would kill himself to leave the world he hated behind and moved to a better place On the day of the massacre, Klebold wore a t-shirt printed WRATH in red (Lindholm & Lindholm, 2005). This can mean that they were so angry and were ready to do anything for their revenge and doing it out of anger.
The sociological theory stands out to explain the crime strongly because it is noted that the pair faced bullying in school and were very angry. Every time they were laughed at by the other classmates. One of Harris last entries in his journal read: "I hate you people for leaving me out of so many fun things. And no don't … say, 'Well that's your fault,' because it isn't, you people had my phone number, and I asked and all, but no. No no no don't let the weird-looking Eric KID come along.” (2016) On the other hand, Klebold in the home recorded videos said: "You've been giving us shit for years. You're fucking gonna pay for all the shit! We don't give a shit. Because we're gonna die doing it." From the statements both from Klebold and Harris, it is evident that they had planned and were after doing revenge. Bullying would be the main reason for the revenge done. After the massacre, a friend to Klebold reported that bullying was rampant in school, and the two were always picked on. A cup of fecal matter was once thrown at them, and people surrounded them in commons laughing and calling them faggots, the two couldn't fight back, and all these happened while teachers watched. This clearly brings out the reason for the killing of a teacher in the massacre.
During the shooting, the pair returned to the library and opened fire on the police outside; this was also a revenge to the cops when they initially had been convicted of breaking into a van. In their journals, they had reported the incidence to be their worst ever traumatic thing that they had experienced. Notably, they started keeping journals shortly after the conviction. HYPERLINK "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Harris_and_Dylan_Klebold" \l "cite_note-43" This can mean that the heart for revenge grew up immediately after the conviction because this is the time that they started planning everything and even making of pipe bombs.
However, the sociological theory tends to fail to explain the crime well when the pair commits suicide. They were under harsh social life; this is what the theory tries to explain. But when they decide to kill themselves, it means that the two had a rational choice when they weighed the potential risk of getting arrested and the punishment after that. It was believed that they were members of a group known as Trench Coat Mafia, but this was not true because they never appeared in any group photo of the Mafia group.
Criminological theory, on the other hand, comes in to explain the reason for the perpetrator's actions when we see that the pair had trouble in controlling their anger. Klebold is reported to swear to his teachers often and fighting with his boss at Blackjack Pizza. Initially, the two had been convicted of breaking into a van and stealing computers. The two here can be termed as criminals because even when they were taken to court, they were charged with trespassing, stealing. Also, we see the two making pipe bombs which are a criminal offense. In their journals, they are reported to write to each how it would be fun killing cops. Despite the sociological pressure, the two are seen to be engaging in crime activities like that of making bombs, stealing and fighting their boss.
When we take a look at the developmental theory, the two here are growing up and nearing the adult stage, by this, they are also developing their skills and thinking capacity. According to their journals, the two are seeing themselves as more evolved than other human beings in the world. They even come up with a mind of making bombs.
Further, there is a labeling theory. In this theory, the people in power are the ones who decides to label which act is a crime. The act of regarding someone as a criminal is what makes him or her to engage in more criminal behavior even than before. Once one is labeled as a criminal, the community takes away the opportunity of the person, and this ultimately leads to more criminal activities. When the pair was convicted and charged with stealing and trespassing, they received 10months juvenile, community service and interventions counseling. Immediately after the conviction is when the two started planning an act of revenge against cops and planning to make bombs, and this is the time we see the two starting to keep their journals and deeply now engage in crime activities. The theory here is clearly brought out by the activities they begin to do.
Another theory is the theory of Biology, genetics, and evolution. This theory tries to explain the reason for the crime that mental illness, poor health bad brain chemistry and evolutionary rewards towards criminal conducts of a person. In Harris' journal entry, he wanted to join the United States Marine Corps, but his application was rejected. He was rejected because of the drugs he was using as a court-order for control of his anger. He was not informed of the reason to why his application was rejected. Though some friends of Harris suggested that he had stopped taking the medication. Other friend claimed that maybe the medication he was put under might have exacerbated Harris' Aggressiveness. This can also be true as we see that the time before conviction Harris was not so much a...