Labeling Theory

There are certain sensitive issues that are always keep us debating. With juveniles there has been a disputable issue with regards to labeling them. Does society create juveniles through perpetual negative labeling or do juveniles earn their righteous name through their criminal behaviors and mischievous actions? The issue of the labeling theory consists of two parts, why and how an individual receives the label and the effect the label has on the individual.

The labeling theory holds that if "significant others" view us as having certain characteristics, we come to take on those characteristics. These characteristics are often ascribed to us in the form of stigmatizing labels, such as the label "delinquent." Thus, the formation of the individual's self-concept is a result of others' definitions of him or her. But is society not responsible for branded characteristics that they have created? Can we not blame society for classifying a person as unacceptable or untrustworthy if their past is questionable? The primary question that needs to be addressed is whether the labeling theory makes sense: does it have logical consistency? The theory argues that there is a self-fulfilling prophecy in which a juvenile becomes negatively labeled and subsequently lives up to that negative label.

Many times labeling starts within the home, progresses into the school system, and can penetrate through the community. Parents, neighbors, and/or teachers may say words or take actions that can start a social reaction process or self-labeling process. It could be something as simple as being called a "menace" or "stupid" to being placed in a classroom with behavior problem students. Some juveniles are stigmatized by their teachers, or stigmatized by law enforcement, but are positively reinforced by their parents and family. As these stigmatized words increase, an adolescent may feel ostracized, seeking other peers who have been labeled similarly. Involvement with these...