Final answer:
Techniques of Neutralization allow juveniles to justify delinquent behavior and maintain an image of conformity, despite rising numbers in juvenile crime and inadequate rehabilitation facilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
“Techniques of Neutralization” allow juveniles to accommodate delinquent behavior while maintaining a self-image as a conformist. These techniques, first identified by Sykes and Matza in 1957, explain how individuals rationalize and justify their deviant behaviors, enabling them to commit acts that go against societal norms without damaging their self-concept as conformists. For example, juvenile delinquents might deny responsibility for their actions, claim that nobody was harmed, or argue that the victims deserved what happened to them. This rationalization happens in various contexts, including the troubling trend where the number of juveniles committing serious crimes is rising, and the rehabilitation attempts in current juvenile facilities are often unsuccessful, leading some to advocate for trying juveniles as adults as a more effective solution.