Although genetics play a significant role in criminal behavior, environmental influences should be considered when developing methods to prevent crime. Specific environmental aspects, which are generally accepted as risk factors of crime, include, but are not limited to, family issues, exposure to coercion, negative peers, and poverty. After these potential risk factors have been identified, the next task facing society is to determine possible prevention and reforming techniques.
Because young people spend a great amount of their time with peers, one is likely to correlate peer influence and criminal behavior. Micheal Shader investigates the relationship between delinquent behavior and delinquent peer groups in "Risk Factors for Delinquency: An Overview." He maintains that several studies support the idea that delinquent peer groups pose a greater risk for delinquent behavior (Shader). Both Shader and colleagues agree that delinquent peer groups promote an individual to portray antisocial behavior (Shader). On the other hand, positive peer groups are equally successful in discouraging delinquent acts (Shader). .
The amount of parental involvement is thought to directly affect the amount of influence a peer group has on a young person (Shader). Lack of parental involvement, coupled with a delinquent peer group, produces doubly negative effects, and vice-versa (Shader). The importance of family influences in criminal behavior can therefore not be ignored. .
The ways in which a child is treated and disciplined by parents has a direct effect on an individual's behavior patterns. Not surprisingly, most people ponder the ways in which a child has been reared when examining the causes of criminal behavior. Robert Colvin considers examples of different types of family treatment and a child's reaction to that specific type of treatment in Crime and Criminals. .
Colvin includes the theories of other researchers in his work.
