Children learn from stories as they grow up. Cultures can also be considered stories for a child.

The prevailing dominant culture impact on youth criminality through the critical criminology
perspective can be pointed at race, gender, age and socio-economic background of the youth.

Critical criminology tries and understands crime as a product of social, economic, and political
factors targeting marginalized communities and individuals rather than as an individual
pathology. Resulting in social inequalities and power imbalances. A western society which is the
dominant culture at the moment can be characterized by individualism, consumerism and the
pursuit of wealth and status. The culture heavily promotes the idea of success and that it is
achieved by being self-interested and through competition rather than cooperation and
community building. We can see evidence, Visano says “ the dominant culture promotes the
celebration of ego-centric distortions such as individualism, possessiveness, materialism and
the reproduction/consumption of narcissism” (2017, p. 1). We can see this has been ingrained
heavily into youths as early as 5 years old.

Visano defines youth crime as a criminal offence committed by individuals who are below the
age of majority. In most countries, the age of the majority is 18 years old. Though this can vary
based on the jurisdiction of the country. Through the use of ideas, ideologies, institutions and
identity children are raised in a society where the norm is individualism that promotes
selflessness and competition. Lacking moral and ethical reasoning can come from the dominant
culture if it glorifies and normalizes criminal behaviour. Younger people are more likely to
engage in criminal activities. For example, if a youth is exposed to an environment (social
media, friends and family) that portrays violence as an acceptable solution to problems they
may be more likely to use violence to resolve conflicts themselves.

In addition, the social learning theory contends that people are more likely to commit crimes if
they think they can get away with it or find the behaviour to be gratifying. Youth may be more
apt to engage in criminal behaviour if they see others doing so without suffering any
consequences. When we examine youth crime through the lens of the "Strain theory," which
postulates that people engage in criminal behaviour as a result of stress brought on by the gap
between their goals and their capacity to accomplish them. According to Visano’s mention of
the strain theory, young people exposed to dominant cultural values and expectations may feel
the strain if they are unable to fulfill those expectations through legal channels like schooling
and employment. With all the discrimination against marginalized youth from the dominant
cultural view this makes it worse and can cause frustration and anger leading to increased
chances of criminal behaviour to achieve those goals. Even engaging in criminal activity may
help young people deal with their negative emotions such as drugs. If the youth are exposed to
the dominant culture's emphasis on material achievement and they are unable to accomplish it
due to a biased education and employment system. They may feel pressure, and in order to feel
validated by the material world, they may engage in criminal activity like theft or drug selling.
Furthermore, when the dominant society promotes values like material success, power, and
status, it has a significant effect on youth crime. causing young people to feel under strain to
fulfill these objectives, regardless of the moral and ethical lines they are stepping over.
According to the control theory, people are compelled by their social ties or connections to
follow the duties and norms of society (the dominant western culture). These ties include
loyalty to one's family, friends, and education. According to Visano, dominance can affect these
social ties and, as a result, have an impact on the likelihood that young people will engage in
criminal behaviour. As an illustration, young people may prioritize their interests over their
social ties and be more likely to engage in criminal behaviour when the dominant culture values
individualism and financial success over the community and social connections. Additionally,
Visano points out that the control theory's efficacy in reducing juvenile crime may be hampered
by the dominant Culture's focus on punishment and control as methods of dealing with criminal
behaviour. Youths may be less likely to feel obligated to abide by societal norms and regulations
if they do not believe that the justice system is legitimate or fair. Because some young people
might believe that the legal system is biased because of their race, class, or gender.

Youth from underrepresented groups are overrepresented in the criminal justice system for a
variety of reasons, including prejudice, deprivation, and social exclusion. According to Visano,
the Dominant culture has a big impact on how minority kids experience the legal system and
interact with it. For instance, Visano argued that criminalizing social exclusion and poverty may
encourage criminal behaviour among underprivileged youth. Furthermore, according to Visano,
racism and prejudice can make minority adolescents feel powerless and disenfranchised, which
can result in feelings of hopelessness and frustration and criminal behaviour. They might
choose to join subcultures that make them feel like they belong there. According to Visano,
racial inequality in juvenile offending might be sustained through the criminal justice system
itself. For instance, Visano points out that racial profiling by law enforcement may cause
minorities to be unfairly singled out for arrest and jail.

Regarding gender, Visano contends that young men are more prone than young women to
commit crimes. The reason for this is that the prevailing cultural norms and expectations
around feminity and masculinity can have a substantial impact on how both male and female
youth experience their involvement in youth crime. For example, Visano indicates that
traditional masculine values that emphasize aggression and violence can contribute to greater
rates of criminal activity among guys. Although modesty and maternal behaviour are valued in
traditional norms for women. According to Visano, gender prejudices and preconceptions can
affect how juvenile offenders of both sexes are handled by the legal system. For instance, when
a female adolescent commits a crime, she may be stigmatized and viewed as deviant and given
a longer sentence, whereas a male adolescent may be seen as just behaving in a masculine
manner. Due to the patriarchal nature of the western dominant culture, this is primarily
reciprocated. This can result in both young people having a different psychology as they
mature. We can observe a rise in female criminal activity rates in recent years. This has a
connection to the dominant culture, which encourages young people to pursue material
achievement and seek social approval for their position and status.

Lastly, Visano believes that dominant cultural norms and expectations surrounding wealth and
success can play a significant role in impacting youth from lower socio-economic background
and their engagement with the justice system. According to Visano, the traditional culture's
emphasis on autonomy and self-reliance can make young people from disadvantaged homes
feel ashamed and stigmatized, which can add to a sense of helplessness and frustration that
motivates criminal behaviour. Additionally, Visano draws attention to the fact that western
society's criminal justice system has the potential to continue the economic disparity that fuels
teenage criminality. According to Visano, the cost of a lawyer and fines can contribute to a
system of poverty penalties that disproportionately affect young people from poorer
socioeconomic backgrounds, increasing their chances of being locked up and committing crimes
again.

In conclusion, the effects of Dominant culture is prevailing in youth crimes. We can notice how
each of the factors are interrelated with each other through ideas, ideologies, institutions and
identities that are in the hegemony of the dominant society. We can correlate race, gender and
socioeconomic background all being a factor in youth crime.
Citations:

Visano, L. A. (2017). Offended & Offending: Understanding Youth Crime (2nd ed.)