LIVED EXPERIENCES OF MINOR OFFENDERS IN REHABILITATION

CENTER IN CEBU CITY

A Title Proposal
Presented to the Faculty
Of the College of Criminal Justice
University of Cebu
Cebu City

In Partial, Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Criminology

By:
JOAN POGOY
OCTOBER 2020
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Juvenile offenders have received significant attention not only to every

individual but also to the government. The Criminal Justice System is tasked with

the crime prevention, peace and order and maintenance especially for the juveniles.

Hence, the government spends more to provide a solution to these problems

Countless studies and research dealt with the causes complicated and universal.

Research has suggested that the children who grow up in a disorganized

society, have weak social bonds such as poor attachment to others and law

involvement in conventional activities are prone to commit deviant acts. Other

research show that these children in a disadvantage environment contribute to

deviant behavior.

In Cebu City, offenders are increasing. When the researcher was still in his

internship in College, he encountered these offenders inside the Rehabilitation

Center. To be young and happy as youth have become elusive dream for them. This

study was conducted to learn what are experiences of the children in conflict with
the law while inside the jail. It also hoped that this study will shed light on the

importance of R.A. 9344 in society.

Theoretical Background

This study is primarily anchored in Travis Hirsch’s social bond theory. The

social bond of a person is divided into four main elements: attachment, commitment,

involvement, and belief. When that bond weakens or breaks, the constraints that

society puts on its members are lifted. Delinquents defy this moral code due to the

fact that their attachment to the society is weak and views that youthful law violator

as someone who rejects social norms and beliefs (Siegel & Senna, 1994).

According to this theory, the youths who were strongly attached to their

parents were less likely to join in delinquent acts. Also, Hirsch found that lack of

attachment to the school and to education is a strong indication of delinquent acts

and those poor basic academic skills are likely to become detached from school and

involved delinquency. Attachment refers to a person’s sensitivity to an interest in

others. Hirsch’s view on parents, peers and schools are the most important social

institution with which a person should maintain ties. Commitment involves the time,

energy, and effort expanded in pursuit of conventional lines of action. This theory

holds that if people build up a strong involvement in life, property, and reputation,

they will be less likely to engage in acts that will jeopardize their position.

Involvement an individual’s heavy involvement in conventional activities does not

leave time for illegal behavior. Beliefs of people who live in common social settings
often share a similar moral doctrine and revere human values as sharing, sensitivity

to the rights of others, and admiration for the legal code (Siegel & Senna, 1994).

This understanding has a big impact on how we set our place in a normal

society and to prevent this deviant behavior. For example, if a child is belong to

broken family where their parents are involved in illegal acts such as drugs and theft

regularly, then the child has a greater chance of having involvement with drug and

theft in the future. On the other hand, if this child’s involvement in school,

recreation, and family insulates a youth from the potential lure of delinquent

behavior and the family being the foundation of the nation, the duty of the parents

shall rear their children and develop their moral character. Also, the child’s ties to

parents suppressed him from delinquent behavior. Even, if parents are shattered by

separation, a child is unlikely to develop feelings of respect for others in authority.

Hirsch further suggests that the interrelationship of elements of the social bond

influence whether an individual pursues delinquent or conventional activities. For

example, children who feel kinship with and sensitivity toward parents and friends

should be more likely to desire and work toward legitimate goal. On the other hand,

youths who reject social relationship will probably lack commitment to conventional

goals and more likely will be involved in conventional activities.

This research is also anchored in the theory of Edwin Sutherland called

differential association theory. Simply stated, the theory indicates that individuals
become predisposed toward criminality because of an excess of contacts that

advocate criminal behavior. Due to these contacts, a person will tend to learn and

accept values and attitude that look more favorably on criminality (Hagan, 2013).

The nine propositions of the differential association theory are:

First, criminal behavior is learned by suggesting that delinquent and criminal

behavior is actually learned. Second, criminal behavior is learned in interaction with

other persons in process of communication. Third, learning of criminal behavior

occurs principally within intimate personal groups. Fourth, the learning of criminal

behavior includes techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very

simple, and the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes.

Fifth the specific direction of motives and drives is learned from various favorable

and unfavorable definitions of the legal codes. Sixth, a person becomes delinquent

if definitions favorable to violating the law exceed definitions favorable to it.

Seventh, differential association may vary in frequency, duration, priority, or

intensity. Eighth, the process of learning criminal behavior by association with

criminal and anti-criminal patterns involves all the mechanisms involved in any

other learning. Finally, while criminal behavior is an explanation of general needs

and values, it is not explained by those needs and values, since noncriminal behavior

is an explanation of the same needs and values.