Michael A. Males

In the following viewpoint, Michael A. Males contends that violence is more likely to be committed by adults than by teenagers. He asserts that politicians who want to make scapegoats out of juveniles and pass harsher laws to punish juvenile criminals ignore statistics that show adult violent crime is increasing. According to Males, implementing curfews and executing juveniles who commit capital crimes will not reduce violence because such practices do not target the true problem, adult violence. Males is a sociologist and the author of Framing Youth: Ten Myths About the New Generation.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the author, what myths led to anti-youth extremism?
2. Between 1985 and 1995, by how much did felony- violence arrest rates rise among 30- to 39-year-olds, according to crime reports?
3. Why does Males criticize Ed...