Criminology

The environment plays a crucial role in molding an individuals personality and behavior. While heredity may also contribute to ones development, the kind of nurturing one experiences has an undeniable effect in his or her development. For this reason, the environment, namely, the family, school, peers, community, and physical environment play a big role in the development of delinquency and crime.

The Family
The family is the first environment that each individual is exposed to. Hence, the kind of upbringing and structure that one grows up with indeed affects his or her behavior. In adolescents particularly, studies have shown significant relationships between delinquent behavior and family environment. According to Matherne and Thomas, children from nontraditional families or those from single-parent and reconstituted households are more likely to develop delinquent behavior than those from traditional families. While traditional families may possess the resources, time, and energy to provide a balanced home environment for the children, nontraditional families lack these elements that make them more susceptible to delinquency and crime (661). Hence, families characterized by poverty and broken homes can be breeding grounds for delinquent behavior. Additionally, good parenting skills also influence children and may serve as a buffer for delinquency (qtd. in Matherne and Thomas 661).

Since they spend most of their days at home, it is apparent that the kind of support and supervision parents provide greatly affects childrens beliefs and actions (Frey et al. 9). Consequently, if they do not get the needed support and supervision and are instead abused and neglected, they are likely to develop antisocial, delinquent, and violent behaviors (qtd. in Jones qtd. in Rao 231). Rao added that physical punishments such as hitting, slapping, and punching provide a pattern for children to follow. Though these make them comply in the short run, they also strengthen the development of delinquency and crime in the long term (231). More strongly than the effect of physical punishment are emotional abuse such as screaming at the child, calling him or her insulting names, extremely criticizing and ignoring him or her, and neglect such as extreme lack of supervision and physical care (Rao 231-232). Other family factors that contribute to the development of delinquency and crime are family size, parental drinking habits, employment history, criminality (Rao 232), poor communication, and weak family bonds (Jones).

In addition, Slomkowski et al. also identified the role of siblings in the development of delinquency and crime. According to them, there is a correlation between brothers and sisters delinquent behaviors. An older siblings delinquency may influence the younger siblings behavior at one point. This may be true not just for brothers but for sisters as well. Factors that influence such delinquency may be pointed at hostility or coercion between siblings. Hence, a healthy relationship characterized by warmth and support between siblings (279-280) should be established to eliminate delinquent tendencies between them. With these, it is evident how the environment that an individual was raised with greatly affects his or her personality and behavior in society. Therefore, a supportive, supervising, stimulating, loving, caring, and properly disciplining family environment should be fostered primarily at home.      

Social environment
The social environment where an individual grows and develops is another contributing factor in delinquent behavior. After the home, the school has the responsibility of nurturing him or her to be a productive citizen. However, when school-related problems come into play, the opposite happens. In Frey et al.s study, they revealed that students with high attachment to school are less likely to show signs of delinquent behavior while those that possess low school attachments are more prone to develop violent and aggressive behavior. Additionally, students who eventually grow disengaged from school are at risk of committing violence. Because of this, teacher support becomes significant and school reforms targeting student attachment to school should therefore be considered (9). To do this, Sprott suggested that the school needs to create a supportive classroom climate and strengthen its academic focus. Furthermore, healthy social interactions and emotional support within the classroom is related to lower levels of violence since students may find the connectedness they need inside the classroom especially if they cannot find it outside. Moreover, a more focused academics is also related to low levels of delinquency since students become more invested in their studies, which in turn lessens the likelihood of committing delinquent acts (566-567). These factors may likewise bear fruit in the future. Since students become more engaged in their studies and are supported by the school, they tend to do well and perform excellently. In turn, when they experience the real world of work, they have better chances of getting stable and good-paying jobs that will keep them away from delinquent and criminal acts.

Another social network that plays a role in the development of delinquency is peers. In todays culture, where an individual chooses to spend most of his time with his or friends, the influence of friendship and connections to behavior is apparent. This can be seen as early as childhood. If children show aggressive behavior towards their peers as early as preschool, they may become outcasts, which they will most likely carry in their adulthood. Hence, they choose to bond with those whom they share similar behaviors. Given this, they create an environment where they influence and push one another towards delinquent behavior (Jones). Adolescents in particular are easily swayed and influenced by their closest friends actions because of their need for social acceptance and identity. According to Payne and Cornwell, an individual may likely model his or her delinquent behavior from his or her closest friends or those friends friends (145-146). Because of the desire to retain this circle of friends and maintain social attractiveness, adults and adolescents alike are motivated to behave how their friends do thus, if the friends maintain violent and delinquent behavior, they are motivated to follow this lead.

Additionally, the community where one resides also plays a role in the development of delinquency. As Frey et al. noted, witnessing, experiencing, and being exposed to violence in ones community or neighborhood likewise increases the possibility of developing violent behaviors. Therefore, a supportive and non-violent community is necessary for one to develop into pro-social citizens (9).
  
Physical Environment
The physical conditions of an environment likewise play a role in the development of delinquency and crime. According to Cassel and Bernstein, there are conditions in the environment that contribute to criminal behavior (111). Specific and discrete environmental factors that create psychological arousal, factors that become stressors over a period of time, elements that directly affect behavior that prompts one to control the environment, and actions people take as a response to environmental factors that leads to a chain of responses are all considered pathways that trigger criminal behavior (qtd. in Cassel and Bernstein 112).

One of the most studied environmental factors affecting crime is temperature. Studies have shown that riots in America have occurred in days when there was intense heat. Also, the most violent crimes were committed in the hot months and aggressive family disturbances have also been linked with heat-related increases. Moreover, noise is also related to aggressive behavior. Though unwanted sound does not directly cause one to act violently, it becomes a stressor or aggressor that provokes a person especially if he or she is already angry or aggressive (Cassel and Bernstein 113-114). Pollution likewise has a similar effect in behavior as evidenced by nonsmokers becoming aggressive when breathing smoke-filled air, child abuse and domestic quarrels increasing with increases in ozone levels, and combination of air pollution and other stressors being associated with hostility (qtd. in Cassel and Bernstein 114). Moreover, natural disasters such as earthquake, fire, hurricanes, and floods set the stage for criminal activity as angry and frustrated victims turn to stealing and other criminal acts for survival. Finally, ones personal space is also a factor to be considered. Though personal spaces may vary across cultures, when these are violated once someone trespasses into them, violent behavior may result (Cassel and Bernstein 114-115).

Conclusion
Given that the environment plays a crucial role in the development of delinquency and crime, it is therefore necessary that elements and factors within this environment are nurturing and supportive enough for an individual to choose to behave appropriately and lawfully. In this sense, family systems and structures, the school, the social networks and peers, the community, and the physical conditions of the environment should all come together to ensure that each individual grows and develops to be a responsible and law-abiding member of the society.