Running head: ADOLESCENTS WITH DEVIANT BEHAVIORS
Adolescents in Robeson County with Deviant Behaviors
Briana McBryde and Donnesha McKenzie
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
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ADOLESCENTS WITH DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
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Adolescents in Robeson County with Deviant Behaviors
According to Newman and Newman (2012), “Adolescence is a thrilling time of life, a
time of lasting memories about first experiences”. These experiences can be both positive and
negative. Unfortunately, in older adolescents, some negative experiences have recidivated, thus
causing a significant increase of problem behaviors in today’s society. The famous Sigmund
Freud believed that all behavior has meaning and is motivated. He suggested that behaviors do
not occur without a purpose, or occur randomly (Newman & Newman, 2012). Therefore, many
factors are connected with how adolescents choose to display negative behaviors.
Problem behaviors are those seen as deviant to others not involved in the act, and they
usually result in some type of consequence or negative judgment. Influences of peers and
siblings can contribute to problem behaviors seen in adolescents. Psychological issues, genetics,
and economic disadvantages can play a role in problem behaviors as well. Whether the
behaviors are caused by peer pressure, the environment, or psychologically, they vary in a wide
range of acts. Some adolescents become bullies, get addicted to sex, abuse drugs and alcohol,
and/or commit crimes. Others display their behavior in mental illnesses such as bipolar, posttraumatic stress, etc.
Problem behaviors are a huge concern for the individual displaying the act and others that
are not involved. This is a problem that needs more awareness. It is becoming extensively
familiar in various areas around the globe. In an attempt to save adolescents, solutions to
problem behaviors may be found through a variety of resources. The recommended solutions and
factors of negative adolescent behavior will be discussed throughout this report.
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Causes of Negative Adolescent Behavior
According to Buehler (2006) early adolescence can be characterized as a time of transformation
in parent-adolescent relationships. As a result of this, conflict between parents and their
developing children escalates; this may serve as a signal to redefine relationships structures and
processes. Buehler (2006) states that there are three factors that influence dyadic hostility among
youth that includes: inadequate parenting control, parent’s well-being, and youth’s affiliation
with deviant peers.
Inadequate parenting control includes: inconsistent discipline, psychological
intrusiveness, and limited monitoring knowledge (Buehler, 2006). This characteristic may
possibly be seen in a parent who may confuse parenting their children and being friends with
their children. Also this factor may be an indication of how the parent was raised. Parent’s wellbeing refers to the parent’s individual-level-contribution. This includes the parent(s) life
satisfaction, depressive affect, and physical health. Youth’s affiliation with deviant peers is
considered an important factor of externalizing problems during adolescence. “Explanations for
this association include the ideas that youth might affiliate with deviant peers because they have
been rejected by more pro-social peers and that antisocial friendships provide a context for
additional training and practice of coercive interactions” (Buehler, 2006, p.110).
Carlson (2012) believed that “a parent will directly affect deviant behavior through
parenting and the family structure, while indirectly affecting the behaviors through the
adolescent’s community, and their choice of peers” (p. 42). Social control or self-control is
thought to be an individualistic characteristic that is established early in life and can account for
deviant behavior. Self-control can be established through attachments to social foundations.
However these social bonds can be weakened and has the ability to influence the level of
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deviance engaged in. Youth who engage in these deviant behaviors do so because it can provide
immediate gratification, it requires little thought process, and does not have a long-term goal
(Carlson, 2012). As a result of this it is often thought that these adolescents may lack selfregulation, which is the ability to set and attain goals, refrain from problematic behavior, and
focus on long-term goals. Sadly the inability to control deviant tendencies will influence the
adolescent to partake in deviant behaviors.
One consistent causal factor of deviant behavior in adolescents is the parent(s). Children
look up to their parents, they observe their every move and whether noticed or not they also
imitate/model their parent’s behavior. If a parent exhibits positive behavior then the child is more
likely to model that behavior and the same goes for negative behavior. “From birth, a parent will
mold and shape behaviors suitable to the norms of society through childrearing” (Carlson, 2012,
p. 44). However with the help of parenting techniques such as parental support, parents can show
their children that they are valued and loved, which will have a major effect on their upbringing.
Through the use of effective discipline, monitoring, and problem solving techniques parents can
hopefully develop a system to hinder their child from deviant behaviors.
Another factor affecting deviant behavior in adolescents is their environment/community.
Durkheim (as cited in Carlson, 2012) argued that deviance is more likely to increase after
societies undergo changes that disrupt the community’s social bonds. As a result of this
community bonds may weaken and disorganization sets in therefore increasing delinquent
behaviors. In agreement, Bronfenbrenner (as cited in Wang & Dishion, 2011) proposed that “An
ecological approach posits that the development of adolescent problem behaviors stems from
complex and dynamic processes among various social and emotional development”. An
adolescent’s development is directly impacted by the system theory of the ecological approach;
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which includes family, neighborhood, and peers. Carlson (2012) states that there are three
necessary conditions that a neighborhood must provide for children: monitoring, recognizing
deviant behaviors, and punishing the behaviors. When these conditions are met, it reinforces
development of normal behavior.
Peers are another major factor affecting deviant behavior in adolescents. As an adolescent
you want to fit in with the “cool/popular kids” therefore you will do anything to be accepted just
as long as you are not ignored or teased. However sometimes that is not always the best decision
to make. It is better to be alone then to cause problems for you and your family that will last
and/or affect you for a lifetime. Carlson (2012) argues that the age at which an adolescent begins
associating with deviant peers influences the level of delinquency the child will participate in. It
is important for parents to monitor their child’s friends and academic performances because it
can lead to a reduction of deviant behaviors influenced through peers.
Three consistent factors that heavily influence deviant behaviors in adolescents include:
their parents, environment/community, and peers. When a child lacks the necessary
reinforcement, such as effective monitoring and support, they tend to turn towards delinquent
behaviors. Research on this topic needs to be done more thoroughly because it can bring
awareness to the issue of deviant behaviors and hopefully impact the lives of parents and
adolescents for the better.
Community Overview
According to Blake Tyner of the North Carolina Visitor Center, “the history of Robeson
County reaches farther back than its creation in 1787, and reflects the rich history of North
Carolina” (Tyner, 2013). Robeson County, containing 948 square miles, is the largest county in
North Carolina. The County took its name from Colonel Thomas Robeson, who served in the
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Revolutionary War Battle of Elizabethtown. (Tyner, 2013: NC Visitor Center, 2013) Colonel
Thomas is said to have had a great impact on the creation of the county. (Tyner, 2013)
According to the 2000 Census (as cited in Richardson, 2005), Robeson County has the
ninth largest population of Native American Indians in the United States. (Richardson, 2005)
Along with the significant number of Native Americans, the county has often been referred to as
tri-racial, which also includes African Americans and Scottish American descendants.
Indubitably, it is of the rich heritage within Native Americans that make the County unique.
Native Americans in Robeson County have been living in the county before it was established,
and they have fought for many rights and equal opportunities. Landmarks and festivals such as
the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the annual Lumbee Pow Wow are evidence of
the Native American legacy that lives to this present time.
With much similarity of Native American tradition, located in the county is the city of
Lumberton. The county seat, Lumberton, was established in 1788. (Tyner, 2009)
Approximately 21,542 people live within the 15.8 square mile city limits of Lumberton, North
Carolina. More than 16,000 residents are of black and white race, roughly 3,000 Native
Americans, and the remaining 2,500 people are of various ethnic backgrounds.
The city of Lumberton contains a variety of churches, denomination and nondenomination, a wide array of shopping stores, entertainment establishments, parks and
recreation, with many sub-communities surrounding them. Unfortunately, with the many
positive places in Lumberton, it simply is not enough to reflect on the county as a whole.
Robeson County is currently known as the poorest and one of the most violent counties in the
state of North Carolina. Being that the county hospital, Southeastern Health, is located in
Lumberton, a majority of the victims and offenders of violent crimes pass through the city.
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According to the Fayetteville Observer, the murder rate in Robeson County is four times the
national average and young people in the area are twice as likely to die before the age of 18.
(Hixenbaugh, 2011).
Being that Lumberton is considered a poor area, a majority of adolescents residing in the
city find it challenging to do positive things, are not aware of the available resources, and many
have become a statistic in violent behaviors. The Fayetteville Observer reported that recently
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was awarded millions of funds to begin the
nation’s first violence prevention research center focused on youth in the rural area of
Lumberton. (Hixenbaugh, 2011). The Newspaper also stated “the goal of the research project
(which is focused on middle school students) is to determine the root of violent behavior in
community and to try out programs to combat it” (Hixenbaugh, 2011). With more programs
such as these that have efficient funding, a slight change in negative adolescent behaviors will
soon appear, thus leading to a decrease in this problem.
Interviews
Born and raised in Lumberton, North Carolina, Jane McMillan considers herself to be an
advocate in her community. Ms. McMillan received her Bachelors in Social Work (BSW) from
the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP). Her current employer is Guardian Ad
Litem located in her community where she serves as program supervisor. She has worked there
12 years. Guardian Ad Litem is a program that seeks to serve the best interests of children who
find themselves the subjects of court cases by assigning those subjects Guardian Ad Litem
volunteers.
Ms. Jane has worked with children within the community since 1994; and she frequently
comes into contact with adolescents who display deviant behavior. She thinks the issue occurs
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frequently due to many reasons. One reason is that parents are younger; children today are
having children at the young ages of 10-11 years old. She also thinks that the issue is so
prevalent because society has changed, there is no family support, no trust in communities, and
she considers society to be immature. She states that when she began to have kids, she could
always depend on her mom or someone from the community to help her out (J. McMillan,
personal communication, October 25, 2013). Today this has become less likely because with
changing times, you can no longer trust other people with your children.
Even though success stories are rare today, Ms. Jane feels as though her efforts within the
community have initiated positive change. There are a few kids in particular that she talked
about frequently and feels as if they are her greatest accomplishments. With the help of Ms. Jane
they realized that the sky is the limit; some are first generation graduates and others have joined
the Air force and Army. Her motto is “education before recreation”. However during years 20072008 Ms. Jane feels as if her success rate has dropped. Kids are no longer motivated. She feels as
if they want to change but they lack the courage to do so.
When asked how severe do you think the problem is in Lumberton, with a serious face
she replied “very severe” (J. McMillan, personal communication, October 25, 2013). She
supports this opinion based on the facts that statistics for Robeson County are very high. More
specifically the statistics are high in STD/AIDS, dropout rates, and Robeson County was just
recently recognized as the poorest county in North Carolina. Another factor she considers
important is that majority of these kids have been exposed to sexual abuse, physical abuse,
suicide, bullying, substance abuse, etc.
With all these factors building up against these kids it is important that they have
positive role models in their lives; someone who is going to reassure and believe in them. Some
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things that she has done to help this issue are to stay active in the kid’s lives. She always
promotes the program because there is a strong need for it in the community. She states that
through collaboration, consistency, believing and having faith, and community service it will
alleviate some of the prevalence of deviant behavior among adolescents (J. McMillan, personal
communication, October 25, 2013).
She states that there are plenty of resources available within the community and even
Robeson County to help these adolescents (J. McMillan, personal communication, October 25,
2013). They include: the boys and girls club, Colors of life, Parkview recreation, local churches,
colleges such as Fayetteville State University (FSU) and Robeson Community College (RCC),
smart start (for five years olds), 4-H Club, boys/girls scouts, public housing, etc. A program that
she really feels makes a difference in the community is the 4-H club mostly because of how
active they are with the kids.
Ms. Carlita Brewington has worked as a juvenile court counsel for 13 years. Ms.
Brewington supervises juvenile delinquents that have been put on probation and she also has the
power to judge (i.e. decide to go to court, rule a case out). She works closely with kids of
Robeson County but sometimes she has to travel depending on where the child is located. Ms.
Brewington has lived in Lumberton all of her life and she thinks this issue is getting worse.
Children are being disciplined less and becoming more fearless.
While doing this job she has had many success stories, but she states that it is mostly
based on the individual; whether they want better for themselves or not (C. Brewington, personal
communication, October 25, 2013). In her opinion she thinks that staying involved and holding
kids accountable for their actions helps them to change for the better. She also thinks of her
career as more than just a job, you have to care about the kid’s overall wellbeing. Over the years
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she has come to the conclusion that no matter how hard you try there are just some people that
you cannot help, so her motto has become “if you can save one then at least you know you made
a difference somewhere”. Some resources she utilizes for the kids she works with include:
multipurpose home (group home placement/therapeutic), Port Human Services (used for
juveniles), Eckard (therapeutic/in-home), and mental health agencies such as Department of
Social Services (DSS).
Robeson County native, Mr. King has lived on the Westside of Lumberton, NC for over twenty
years. He currently works in the emergency department of Southeastern Health as a certified
nurse assistant/ transporter. While on the job, Mr. King stated, “I witness at least thirty
adolescents be admitted for psychiatric evaluation per week” (King, personal communication,
October 31, 2013). King has the opportunity to work closely with the nurse and doctor that treat
these adolescents, and often has in depth conversations with the young, trouble individuals.
Mr. King reports “the problem with these kids come from lack of guidance” (King,
personal communication, October 31, 2013). Frequent deviant behaviors displayed by the
adolescents consist of drug overdose/ abuse, alcohol intoxication, and harming themselves by
cutting. King has also seen victims of domestic and sexual abuse on various occasions. Through
conversation Mr. King has learned most adolescents that come to the facility live in one parent
homes and do not have curfews. This is lacking of disciplinary skills and could be a sign of poor
attachment/ bonding between the child and parent.
Mr. King usually steps often finds himself acting as a role model. He gives adolescents
encouraging words and direction toward positive activities around the community that they may
want to consider after treatment. “Positive activities like recreation teams would help these kids
a lot” (King, personal communication, October 31, 2013). King believes that by kids involving
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themselves in these type activities they will feel a sense of belonging and a change in adolescent
behavior would soon come. (King, personal communication, October 31, 2013).
Assessing Resources and Gaps
Various organizations and groups are available in Robeson County for adolescents who
display deviant behaviors. The Haymount Institute for Psychological Services provides
assistance to families experiencing problems, and it seeks to find solutions to these problems by
teaching the patient to attain new skills and goals. Similar to this institute is Associate
Behavioral Services. This program is primarily based on mental health and substance abusing
patients; providing service to all who wish to obtain a better life.
Many of Robeson County residents begin their journey to a better life through admitting
themselves to the hospital, Southeastern Health. At the hospital residents are assessed and
referred to places such as the Haymount Institute for Psychological Services, Associate
Behavioral Services, and age-based mental facilities within North Carolina. If one chooses not
to involve themselves in costly facilities he/she has an option to seek assistance within support
help groups such as the Odum Home, Haymount United Methodist, Palmer Drug, and Guardian
Ad Litem. These non-profit services provide for adolescents or have systems specifically
designed for the adolescent population.
Additional resources that target adolescents within Robeson County are the boys and
girls club, colors of life, 4-H Club, and Parkview recreation. These programs do not necessarily
accommodate “deviant” adolescents, but they play a substantial role in preventing deviant
behaviors from coming to reality. The previous listed programs are needed to keep adolescents
positively occupied while out of school. With more recreation type resources available, Robeson
County should see a reverse in troubled adolescents. While researching the course of deviant
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adolescent behaviors, two hypotheses come to mind; lack of resources and lack of parental
guidance. As stated previously in the literature review Carlson (2012) assumed that “parents
affect their children’s behavior through family structure and parenting”. Without the adequate
amount of parental guidance, one is bound to travel the wrong path.
Economical disadvantages are a main factor in behavioral issues seen in adolescents.
Robeson County neighborhoods show a lack of consistency while comparing to less problematic
neighborhoods. Carlson (2012) stated a neighborhood must monitor, recognize, and punish
deviant behaviors. It seems as Robeson County lies far past this tactic and it is too late to try this
type of reinforcement. Expansion of recreational programs may be the best option to save our
adolescents.
The ability of the community to meet and/or address the needs of deviant behavior in
adolescents is far from being solved. Adolescents have several stereotypes and obstacles they
need to overcome such as the high crime and dropout rate. However change cannot be made over
night, this issue is longstanding and will require time and dedication. Weaknesses facing this
community include: people who prevent/oppose change for a number of reasons, few monies to
initiate and keep a steady program, kids/parents not being knowledgeable and/or barriers to
adequate resources, the longstanding history of the effects of deviant behavior, etc. Strengths of
this community include: programs such as Parkview recreation and Colors of Life, prominent
figures in the community striving for change, juvenile system (instead of punishing kids they
reinforce their behavior and try to get to the root of the problem), local churches working within
the community, afterschool programs, etc.
There are plenty of resources within this community that people can utilize to elicit
change among these kids. The problem lies in the fact that many people just simply do not know
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these resources are available until the problem becomes severe and result in things like jail or
death. Furthermore the bulk of the responsibility also lies with the parents; they must stay active
and become positive role models for their children from birth to adulthood. Overall with more
awareness to these programs and parents taking on the expected responsibilities, change in
deviant adolescent behavior is likely to come. Adolescents in Robeson County need people that
care. Although some may lack parental guidance, they would still be able to seek guidance from
others in the community.
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Resources
Buehler, C. (2006). Parents and peers in relation to early adolescent problem behavior. Journal
of Marriage and Family, 109-124.
Carlson, A. (2012). How parents influence deviant behavior among adolescents: An analysis of
their family life, their community, and their peers. Perspectives (University of New
Hampshire), 42-51.
Hixenbaugh, M. (2011, January 5). Robeson County is the most violent in state. The Fayetteville
Observer. Retrieved from http://www.fayobserver.com
Newman, B. M. & Newman, P. R. (2012). Development through life: A psychosocial approach.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Richardson, G. A. (2005). The State and its Tribes. North Carolina Museum of History , 45 (1),
1-3.
Tyner, B. (2009). NC GenWeb. Retrieved from http://www.ncgenweb.us/robeson/history.htm
Tyner, B. (2013). NC Vistior Center. Retrieved from
http://ncvisitorcenter.com/Robeson_County_history.html
Wang, M.-T., & Dishion, T. J. (2011). The trajectories of adolescents’ perceptions of school
climate, deviant peer affiliation, and behavioral problems during the middle school years.
Society for Research on Adolescence, 22(1), 40-53.