Deviant acts such as murder, sexual victimization, bullying, mental health issues, substance use, violent crimes and theft represent behaviors outside of social norms. These acts are often closely associated with minority, youth and marginalized groups, who may be subjected to such behaviors due to systemic discrimination, exclusion and adverse social conditions. This systematic discrimination, exclusion or adverse social conditions. This systematic literature review examined 31 articles focusing on deviant acts experienced or committed by these groups. Thematic analysis categorized deviant behaviors into five main types which is substance use and HIV/AIDS, sexual crimes, criminal offenses, bullying victimization and discrimination. The review also identified the communities most frequently represented, including African Americans, Hispanic, LGBTQ, Palestinian Arab, Russian, homeless, and Latino. Findings reveals that deviant acts occur at a disproportionately high rate among these groups, particularly in urban contexts such as United States where its often driven by structural inequalities and marginalization. This paper highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between minority status and deviant behavior to foster safer environments and promote equity. The study concludes by outlining directions for future research in criminology and minority as well as youth studies. 

References

Anderberg, M., Dahlberg, M. & Wennberg, P. (2022). Criminality among Young People with Substance Use Problems in Sweden: A One-year Follow-up Study. Journal of Drug Issue, 52(3), 406-420. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426211046596

Anthony, A.A. & Brunson, R.K. (2015). The police and public discourse on “Black-on-black” Violence.https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/248588.pdf

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2023). Abuse before the age of 15. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/detailed-methodology-information/concepts-sources-methods/personal-safety-survey-user-guide/2021-22/abuse-age-15

Baird, A. (2012). The Violent Gang and the Construction of Masculinity Amongst Socially Excluded Young Men, Safer Communities., 11(4). 179-190.

Beck, A.J. (2021). Race and Ethnicity of Violent Crime Offenders and Arrestees, 2018. Office of Justice Programs.

Bird, D.K. (2009). The use of questionnaire for acquiring information on public perception of natural hazards and risk mitigation- a review of current knowledge and practice, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 9(4), 1307-1325. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-9-1307-2009, 2009

Bronson, J. & Stroop, J. (2017). Drug use, dependence and abuse among state prisoners and jail inmates, 2007-2009. https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/dudaspji0709.pdf

Buchholz, K. (2023). Violent Crime Rates Fall in the U.S. https://www.statista.com/chart/31063/violent-and-other-crime-rates-us/

Bulletin. (2023). Crime in the San Diego Region Mid-Year 2023 Statistics. https://www.sandag.org/-/media/SANDAG/Documents/PDF/data-and-research/criminal-justice-and-public-safety/criminal-justice-research-clearinghouse/cj-bulletin/cj-bulletin-crime-in-the-san-diego-region-mid-year-2023.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). HIV and Substance Use. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/hiv-drug-use

Clinard, M.B. (1957). Sociology of Deviant Behavior. Library of Congress.

Clinard, M.B., Meier, R. F. (2011). Sociology of Deviant Behavior. Library of Congress.

Coomber, R., Donnermeyer, J.F., McElrath, K., Scott, J. (2015). Key Concepts in Crime and Society. SAGE
Publications Ltd.

Department of Justice and Attorney-General. (2023). Sexual Violence statistics.https://www.justice.qld.gov.au/about-us/services/women-violence-prevention/violence-prevention/sexual-violence-prevention/sexual-violence-statistics

Davids, D., Soji, Z., Abdulla, Z. (2022). Experience-Based Lessons From Males In The Northern Areas Of Port Elizabeth (GQEBERHA) On Factors That Protected Them From Becoming Involved in Gangsterism. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 58(4), 419-441. https://doi.org/10.15270/58-4-1074 

Douglas, J.D. & Waksler, F.C. (1982). The Sociology of Deviance: An Introduction. Little, Brown and Co., Boston, MA.

Dziewanski, D. (2020). Femme Fatales: Girl Gangsters and Violent Street Culture in Cape Town. FeministCriminology, 15(4), 438-463. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085120914374

Ericson, N. (2001). Addressing the Problem of Juvenile Bullying. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200127.pdf

Ferrante, J. (2011). Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. Lachina Publishing Services.

Fisher, B. S., Daigle, L. E., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M. G. (2003). Reporting Sexual Victimization to the Police and Others Results from a National-Level Study of College Women. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 30(1), 6-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854802239161

Goode, E. (2011). Deviant Behavior. Pearson Education, Inc.

Hinton, E. (2018). An Unjust Burden: The Disparate Treatment of Black Americans in the Criminal Justice System. https://www.vera.org/downloads/publications/for-the-record-unjust-burden-racial-disparities.pdf

Hockenberry, S. (2020). Delinquency cases in juvenile court, 2018.
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/delinquency-cases-in-juvenile-court-2018.pdf    

Humphrey, J., & Schmalleger, F. (2021). Deviant Behavior. (Vols. 1-10). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781544394947

Ikoh, M. U., Smah, S. O., Okwanya, I., Clement, U. A., & Aposhi, Z. A. (2019). Factors Affecting Entry Into Drug Abuse Among Youths in Lafia Metropolis: Implications on Security. SAGE Open, 9(1), https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018823428

Kabir, S. (2016). Methods of Data Collection. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325846997_METHODS_OF_DATA_COLLECTION

Kinnear, K. L. (2009). Gangs Second Edition. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Krona, M., & Caskey, O. (2023). The Gangster and the Bride: The Media Representation of Masculinity and Femininity in News Coverage of Jihadi Terrorists. Terrorism and Political Violence, 36(8), 1048-1063. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2023.2244083

Liu, J. L., Yan, L., Zhang, Y. H., Gan, J. H., Yang, L. C. (2023). Lower Class Competence Stereotypes of the upper-class conflict: mediation by intergroup envy and moderation by upward social mobility belief. Frontiers in Psychology. 15(2024), https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1360951

Madrid-Cagigal, A., Kealy, C., Potts, C., Mulvenna, M. D., Byrne, M., Barry, M. M., Donohoe, G. (2025). Digital Mental Health Interventions for University Students with Mental health Difficulties: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry,19(3) https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.70017

Marshall, I. H. (1997). Minorities, Migrants, and Crime: Diversity and Similarity Across Europe and the United States. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483328072

Mcleod, S. (2018). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. https://canadacollege.edu/dreamers/docs/Maslows- Hierarchy-of-Needs.pdf

Moffitt, T.E. (2018). Male antisocial behaviour in adolescence and beyond. Nature Human Behaviour, 2(3), 177-186. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0309-4

Nalah, Bala, A., Ishaya & Daniel, L. (2013). A Conceptual Overview of Deviance and Its Implication to Mental Health: a bio psychosocial perspective. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2(12), 2319-7714.

National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. (2020). Drug related crime statistics. https://drugabusestatistics.org/drug-related-crime-statistics/

National Public Radio. (2018). Discrimination in America. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/94/2018/01/NPR-RWJF-HSPH Discrimination-Final-Summary.pdf

National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2015). Statistics about Sexual Violence.https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications_nsvrc_factsheet_media-packet_statistics-
            about-sexual-violence_0.pdf 

Orsolini, L., Pompili, S., Salvi, V., Volpe, U. (2021). A Systematic Review on TeleMental Health in Youth Mental Health: Focus on Anxiety, Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Medicina, 57(8), 793. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57080793

Perkins, C. A. (1997). Age Patterns of Victims of Serious Violent Crime. 
https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/apvsvc.pdf

Petrus, T., & Kinnes, I. (2018). New social bandits? A comparative analysis of gangsterism in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 19(2), 179-196. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895817750436

Roopa S, & Rani MS (2012). Questionnaire Designing for a Survey, Journal of Indian Orthodontic Society, 46(4), 273-277. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10021-110

Ryan, L. & Vigne, N. L (2022). Trends in Youth Arrests for Violent Crimes.
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/trends-in-youth-arrests.pdf

Sahoo (2022). Interview as a Tool for Data Collection in Educational Research. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360313105_Interview_as_a_Tool_for_Data_Collection_in_Educational_Research

Sikhwari, M. G. (2025). Addressing School Violence in the Foundation Phase: The Role of Leadership and Community Involvement in Rural Areas. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 22(2), 683-695. https://doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2025.2202.55

Singwane, T. P. & Ramoshaba, D. J. (2024). Exploring Crystal Methamphetamine Use Among School-Going Learners: A Qualitative Case Study in South African Schools. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences &
Humanities, 21(4), 66-76. https://doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2024.2104.06

Taherdoost. H (2020). Different Types of Data Analysis; Data Analysis Methods and Techniques in Research Project Authors. International Journal of Academic Research in Management, 9(1). 1-9.
https://hal.science/hal-03741837/document

Taherdoost. H (2021). Data Collection Methods and Tools for Research; A step-by-step Guide to Choose Data Collection Technique for Academic and Business Research Projects. International Journal of Academic Research in Management, 10(1). 10-38. https://hal.science/hal-03741847/document

Willis. L (2009). Gangs. Greenhaven Press.

Thompson, A. & Susannah, N. T. (2024). Violent Victimization by Race or Hispanic Origin, 2008-2021. https://bjs.ojp.gov/violent-victimization-race-or-hispanic-origin-2008-2021 

United Nation. (2001). Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS: Lessons Learned. Case Studies Booklet. Central and Eastern Europe and the Central Asian States. 
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/449882?v=pdf&ln=en

United States Department of Transportation. (2025). Alcohol-impaired driving.https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813713

U.S Department of Education. (2024). Students Reports of Bullying: Results From the 2022 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey.https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2024/2024109rev.pdf

U.S Department of Justice. (1991). Violent Crime in the United States. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/127855NCJRS.pdf

World Health Organization. (2022). Violence against children. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-children

Xiao, Y., & Watson, M. (2017). Guidance on Conducting a Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 39(1), 93-112. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X17723971