CMY2603
Assignment 1 Semester 1 2026
Unique number:
Due Date: March 2026
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 81 278 3372
, QUESTION 1
1. Introduction
Youth misbehaviour and youth crime in South Africa are often linked to wider social
pressures that shape how children grow up and how they cope with daily life. Risk
factors do not mean a child will offend, but they increase the chances of aggressive,
violent, criminal or disruptive behaviour when many of them occur together
(CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020; Maree, 2018:82; Hillege et al, 2017). It is also
important to remember that many young people face the same pressures and still do
not offend, especially when strong protective factors are present, such as supportive
adults, school commitment and prosocial friends (Maree, 2018:83). This discussion
focuses on five risk factors that are commonly linked to youth misbehaviour in South
Africa and explains how each one can contribute to harmful behaviour, with brief
local examples (CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020; Maree, 2018).
2. Risk factor 1: Poverty, inequality and relative deprivation
2.1 How it contributes to misbehaviour
Economic inequality and relative deprivation can create frustration, resentment and a
sense of exclusion, especially when young people compare their lives to those who
appear to have more (Maree, 2018:94). When a child experiences ongoing financial
strain, it can lower self esteem and increase feelings of shame or inferiority, which
may increase anger and risk taking (Maree, 2018:88). In some cases, this pressure
pushes young people towards theft, robbery or joining groups that promise money
and status, because crime begins to look like a quick route to respect and survival
(CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020; Maree, 2018:94).
2.2 South African example
In many low income communities, young people may see expensive clothes,
cellphones and cars as signs of success, yet their families cannot meet basic needs.
A teenager who feels deprived may start stealing from shops or targeting commuters
for phones to gain cash and social status, while peers praise the behaviour as being
clever rather than wrong (Maree, 2018:94; CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020).
© Study Shack 2026. All rights Reserved +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 1 Semester 1 2026
Unique number:
Due Date: March 2026
This document includes:
Helpful answers and guidelines
Detailed explanations and/ or calculations
References
Connect with the tutor on
+27 81 278 3372
, QUESTION 1
1. Introduction
Youth misbehaviour and youth crime in South Africa are often linked to wider social
pressures that shape how children grow up and how they cope with daily life. Risk
factors do not mean a child will offend, but they increase the chances of aggressive,
violent, criminal or disruptive behaviour when many of them occur together
(CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020; Maree, 2018:82; Hillege et al, 2017). It is also
important to remember that many young people face the same pressures and still do
not offend, especially when strong protective factors are present, such as supportive
adults, school commitment and prosocial friends (Maree, 2018:83). This discussion
focuses on five risk factors that are commonly linked to youth misbehaviour in South
Africa and explains how each one can contribute to harmful behaviour, with brief
local examples (CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020; Maree, 2018).
2. Risk factor 1: Poverty, inequality and relative deprivation
2.1 How it contributes to misbehaviour
Economic inequality and relative deprivation can create frustration, resentment and a
sense of exclusion, especially when young people compare their lives to those who
appear to have more (Maree, 2018:94). When a child experiences ongoing financial
strain, it can lower self esteem and increase feelings of shame or inferiority, which
may increase anger and risk taking (Maree, 2018:88). In some cases, this pressure
pushes young people towards theft, robbery or joining groups that promise money
and status, because crime begins to look like a quick route to respect and survival
(CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020; Maree, 2018:94).
2.2 South African example
In many low income communities, young people may see expensive clothes,
cellphones and cars as signs of success, yet their families cannot meet basic needs.
A teenager who feels deprived may start stealing from shops or targeting commuters
for phones to gain cash and social status, while peers praise the behaviour as being
clever rather than wrong (Maree, 2018:94; CMY2603 Study Guide, 2020).
© Study Shack 2026. All rights Reserved +27 81 278 3372
