Movies and juvenile delinquency: an overview
Snyder, S.
Adolescence 26(101): 121-132
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-8449 PMID: 2048467 Document Number: 382027
Film viewing may affect the juvenile delinquent through the processes known as social learning and instigation. Identification with the movie and its characters by the delinquent viewer is common, and studies have consistently demonstrated that films can affect delinquents, although in some cases the effects are small. Numerous examples of how films may serve as either the initiator or the final common pathway of delinquent acts are presented. However, prosocial aspects of films dealing with delinquency may exert a positive influence on the juvenile delinquent. Treatment implications of these observations are discussed from social learning and other perspectives.