Much of mainstream thinking concerning juvenile delinquency in Canada

Question

Much of mainstream thinking concerning juvenile delinquency in Canada and the United States is based on the assumption that if uncorrected it automatically leads to adult crime and should thus be severely punished, usually by some form of incarceration, before it becomes an ingrained behavior pattern. While there is some connection between juvenile delinquency and adult criminality, some criminologists argue that this can actually be explained by the actions of the justice system itself:  research by these criminologists suggests that incarceration may have the perverse effect of ensuring that the young offenders will continue to perform delinquent acts.  This is an interesting point, but a difficult one to translate into policy—and the criminologists do not make an attempt to do so, in part because taken to its extreme their research suggests that the best form of law enforcement intervention might be none.

The criminologists' unwillingness to attempt to articulate a policy also stems from their failure—perhaps mirroring that of law enforcement—to distinguish sufficiently between what the young adults themselves think of as criminal behavior and what they consider merely "fun" even while acknowledging that it is illegal. Many of the subjects of the criminologists' research used just this word to explain why they indulged in delinquent behavior as juveniles. This suggests that while young adults who engage in occasional delinquent activity think of that activity as illegal, they do not think of themselves as criminals—and that once they become officially recognized by law enforcement as criminals deserving incarceration the young adults may change their opinion of themselves. The strongest support for this view is that most youthful offenders who escape detection by law enforcement stop their delinquent behavior by age 18, and that only 8 percent of these report that they did so out of the fear of getting caught. Perhaps a policy that encourages maturation, rather than routinely imposing incarceration, may be the most effective form of rehabilitation for young offenders.

The problem of juvenile delinquency certainly ought to be dealt with, but the question is one of approach. The conventional wisdom has held that it is essential to make youthful offenders understand that their actions are absolutely impermissible, even if this requires incarceration. However, we do not need to remove delinquents from the community, but rather rehabilitate them when they do wrong.  Might it not make a difference, for instance, if a young adult caught stealing from a store is made to return the merchandise and apologize to the store owner rather than being incarcerated as a thief?  We should be trying to ensure that youthful offenders learn the values of the larger society by the time they reach maturity. This should be the goal when dealing with juvenile delinquency, and it can be achieved without either inflicting incarceration or allowing young offenders to escape penalty.    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main idea of the passage?

(A) The prevailing law enforcement view of illegal juvenile behavior differs from the way in which many young offenders view their own behavior. 
(B) Criminologists should refocus their research methodology so as to gain a better idea of the causes of juvenile delinquency. 
(C) Criminologists and law enforcement personnel must cooperate if the problem of juvenile delinquency is to be solved. 
(D) Juvenile delinquency is a significant problem and a threat to social stability in Canada and the United States. 
(E) Timely rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents can be achieved without resorting to incarceration of those who do wrong.

2 
 2. The author's opinion about the work of the criminologists discussed in the first paragraph can most accurately be described by which one of the following?

(A) They advocate the right policies despite errors in their research. 
(B) Their advocacy of mistaken policies has led them to distort their research findings. 
(C) Their research findings are useful, but they advocate policies that are incompatible with them. 
(D) Their research findings are useful, but they have failed to draw any policy conclusions from them. 
(E) The errors in their research findings have led them to advocate mistaken policies.

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author holds which one of the following views regarding juveniles who view their delinquent activities as "fun"?

(A) They believe that there is never a moral difference between so-called right and wrong behavior. 
(B) They have not sufficiently learned some of the values of society. 
(C) They do so primarily because of the policy of treating delinquency as serious criminal behavior. 
(D) They should be sentenced to the same punishments as adults. 
(E) They should be rehabilitated through expanded programs and facilities in the prisons.

4 
 4. The author's attitude toward current law enforcement policies dealing with juvenile delinquency can most accurately be described as

(A) optimistic that these policies result in high detection rates
(B) certain that these policies cause further juvenile delinquent acts
(C) confident that these policies promote the good of society
(D) convinced that these policies should be revised
(E) confident that these policies have no effect on juvenile delinquency

5 
 5. In relation to lines 10-13 of the passage, the author's purpose in lines 49-53 ( Highlighted ) is to

(A) describe a policy with which the author wishes to take issue
(B) illustrate and support a proposal that is motivated partly by the point made in lines 10-13
(C) provide an example that confirms what the author refers to as mainstream thinking regarding juvenile delinquency
(D) show an interpretation of data that is opposed to the interpretation given in lines 10-13
(E) reiterate the flaws inherent in the methodology of criminologists

6 
 6. Which one of the following is most closely analogous to the purported relationship in the passage between incarceration and criminologists' research findings?

(A) Since medical research shows that untreated melanoma almost invariably leads to more-serious and generalized lesions, it is a common policy to treat all detected melanomas quickly and aggressively.
(B) It was once a common policy to treat sore throats by removing the tonsils, but medical research has shown that tonsillectomy is generally not effective for that purpose and can be harmful.
(C) It is a common policy to treat viral sore throats with antibiotics, but medical research shows that antibiotic therapy can have undesirable side effects.
(D) It is a common policy to treat heartburn with antacids, but medical research shows that the use of antacids often leads to rebound acidity, causing the very condition that it treats.
(E) Since medical research shows that allergic sinusitis treated with decongestant therapy has several accompanying side effects, it is now a common policy to let less serious cases of sinusitis go untreated.
 
 7 
 7. The passage includes information regarding each of the following EXCEPT:

(A) how juvenile delinquents perceive themselves and their actions
(B) which illegal acts are generally committed by juveniles but not by adults
(C) a recommended policy of law enforcement to be used in dealing with juvenile delinquents
(D) the effects of incarceration on juvenile delinquents
(E) an age by which most juveniles cease delinquent behavior without legal intervention

8 
 8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) prove that law enforcement officials have not understood the true causal roots of juvenile delinquency
(B) discuss how juvenile delinquents view their own behavior and illegal activities
(C) examine the validity of the contention that juvenile delinquency inevitably leads to adult criminality
(D) explain the causes of juvenile delinquency in Canada and the United States and its treatment by law enforcement officials
(E) argue that a different method of treating juvenile delinquents could yield better results for society

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 88 Date: 03-Apr-2023
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

Source:   LSAT Preptest Feb 1999 (B)   
 Difficulty Level:   600

gayatrijuneja011 · Answer

Please provide explanation for Q-3,how to eliminate options?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author holds which one of the following views regarding juveniles who view their delinquent activities as "fun"?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

(A)  The passage does not explicitly discuss whether these young adults believe there is no moral difference between right and wrong behavior. It focuses more on the approach to dealing with their actions.

(B)   This is a view consistent with the passage. The author suggests that some young adults who engage in delinquent activities may not have fully understood or internalized the values of society.

(C)  This is not explicitly mentioned in the passage. The passage does discuss the influence of the justice system on young offenders but does not attribute their behavior solely to the policy of treating delinquency as serious criminal behavior.

(D)  The passage does not advocate for treating juvenile offenders the same as adults in terms of punishment. In fact, it suggests that rehabilitation and maturation should be the focus instead of incarceration.

(E)  The passage does mention rehabilitation as a potential approach but does not specifically mention expanded programs and facilities in prisons. It suggests alternative methods of addressing delinquency without inflicting incarceration.

Answer: B

Alka10 · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994

Kindly provide explanation for Q4 and Q5.

Thanks
Alka

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. The author's attitude toward current law enforcement policies dealing with juvenile delinquency can most accurately be described as

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

(A)  This option suggests that the author is optimistic about the current law enforcement policies in dealing with juvenile delinquency because they result in high detection rates of young offenders. However, this is not accurate. The author is critical of the current policies and does not express optimism about their effectiveness. Instead, they argue that the policies may be counterproductive.

(B)  This option implies that the author is certain that the current policies are causing more juvenile delinquent acts. While the author does argue that there is a connection between the justice system's actions and continued delinquent behavior, they do not express certainty. The author presents this as a possibility based on research by criminologists but does not assert it as an absolute fact.

(C)  This option suggests that the author is confident that the current policies promote the good of society. However, the passage does not support this view. In fact, the author challenges the conventional wisdom and argues for a different approach, indicating a lack of confidence in the current policies.

(D)  This is the correct option.  The author is convinced that the current policies should be revised. The passage is critical of the conventional approach of severe punishment and argues for a different way of dealing with juvenile delinquency, emphasizing rehabilitation and maturation.

(E)  This option suggests that the author is confident that the current policies have no effect on juvenile delinquency. However, this is not the case. The author is actively discussing the potential effects of these policies, suggesting that they may have counterproductive outcomes. Therefore, the author is not confident that the policies have no effect; rather, they believe the policies may have negative effects.

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. In relation to lines 10-13 of the passage, the author's purpose in lines 49-53 (Highlighted) is to

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

(A)  This option suggests that the author is describing a specific policy that they want to criticize. However, in  lines 49-53 , the author is not describing an existing policy but rather proposing an alternative approach to dealing with juvenile delinquency. The author's purpose is not to take issue with a particular policy but to illustrate and support their own proposal.

(B)  This is the correct option.  In  lines 10-13 , the author discusses the conventional wisdom regarding juvenile delinquency and the use of severe punishment, including incarceration. In  lines 49-53 , the author provides an example to illustrate and support their own proposal, which is motivated by the point made earlier. The proposal is to rehabilitate young offenders and teach them the values of society rather than relying on punitive measures.

(C)  This option suggests that the author is providing an example that confirms the mainstream thinking about juvenile delinquency. However, the author's purpose in  lines 49-53  is not to confirm mainstream thinking but rather to offer an example that supports their own alternative perspective on how to address juvenile delinquency.

(D)  This option implies that the author is presenting an opposing interpretation of data in  lines 49-53  compared to the interpretation given in  lines 10-13.  However, the author is not presenting a conflicting interpretation of data in this part of the passage. Instead, they are using an example to illustrate and support their proposed approach.

(E)  This option suggests that the author is reiterating the flaws in the methodology of criminologists in  lines 49-53.  However, this is not the author's purpose in these lines. They are not discussing the flaws in the methodology of criminologists at this point but rather proposing an alternative approach to dealing with juvenile delinquency. The focus is on their own proposal, not critiquing criminologists' methodology.

Answer: B

VerbalBot · Answer

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

Much of mainstream thinking concerning juvenile delinquency in Canada

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Much of mainstream thinking concerning juvenile delinquency in Canada

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards