Why do kids shoot up their schools, join gangs, smoke pot and/or illegally download music? This course takes a sociological examination of delinquency, from massive crimes, like the Columbine shooting, to individual actions, like sexual violence. This includes a critical analysis of the measurement and extent of crime, theories of why people commit crimes and the effectiveness of institutional responses to the crime problem. As criminology is the study of law breaking, we will discuss how the act of committing a crime and its public interpretation are shaped by culture and social structure and therefore varies greatly from place to place. An important part of this course will be the discussion of the root causes of delinquency. This will be based on the research and theories of criminologist. Factors like age, race, gender, and family will be introduced as important variables. We will also discuss how the justice system and prevention programs have responded to the problem of delinquency.

The class will generally follow a lecture format, with discussion. Since this is essentially a quarter's worth of material squeezed into two days, it will be fairly intense. Students are expected to be present for the full course and participate in discussion. Students will answer essay questions at the end of the class for a P/NP grade.

Class Schedule
Saturday, August 8 - Defining delinquency, understanding crime data, typology, theories (part 1)
Sunday, August 9 - Theories (part 2), the juvenile justice system, delinquency prevention

Mandatory attendance for all classes.

Use of Personal Technology & Literature:

• Laptops may ONLY be used in class for the purpose of note taking. Web surfing, games, instant messaging, email, and working on homework for other classes tends to be distracting to others and is prohibited during class time. If you find you must do otherwise, please excuse yourself for the remainder of the class time. However, you will not earn participation points for that day.
• Non-course materials - Magazines, books, newspapers and other literature, including homework from other classes, may be a distraction for others in class and is therefore prohibited. Please save these activities for time other than in class.
• Music/Video player use during class is strictly prohibited. This is a definite distraction for others.
• Cell phones are to be silenced and not used during class time. This includes sending or receiving calls or use of text messaging. If you find you need to use your cell phone, please excuse yourself for the remainder of the class time. However, you will not earn participation points for that day.