Nowadays, society tries to find to someone to blame for their mistakes, and not actually putting the matters where they belong. In criminal procedure, it teachers that any individual in the right state of mind during any criminal activities is held responsible for there're actions, which brings us to the concept of mens- rea.
Therefore, the explain of the professor defines the concept of who's to blame, the society or an individual.Based on the explanation given by professor Humbolt for the boy's behavior avoids the theory of society, which is facing the consequences. But on the other hand, he is justifying the boy's action, for example the different excuses given by the professor, Which I will proof wrong.
They often say that" a child is the product of his/her environment" but that theory is not always the case. Two kids in the same house hold, same amount of rules and regulations from their parents, plays the same video games but have different outcome in life. Even if they were abuse like the professor subject, in some cases they turn into the best counselors in child abuse cases. Since the house hold concept does not convey his explanation, maybe the third explanation has made the most sense.
The third excused explained, the Gand related activities. However, that does not exclude the measure that they took on the homeless man with the baseball bat to the point of ending his life. When the professor added peer pressure.
They were not under duress or under any gang