Juvenile Delinquency in the U.S.

Juvenile delinquency poses a serious problem in the contemporary society, with the authorities often having a limited influence on preventing it. Society in general has had the tendency to devise different agendas meant to address juvenile delinquency. This is also one of the reasons why correctional institutions normally have laws that can only be applied in cases involving minors. While status offenses can also be applied in cases involving adults, they are typically considered in situations where a minor committed an illegality.

The fact that the criminal is a part of a specific group means that he or she is going to be provided with special treatment -- the authorities implement regulations that can only be considered for that particular group. Many schools have specially designed programs meant to inform students with regard to the effects that juvenile delinquency has on society and on individuals involved in it.

Courses meant to address juvenile delinquency have become increasingly popular in educational institutes today, as the masses seems to have acknowledged the significance of teaching individuals with regard to the legal aspect of being a member of a social order. More and more people believe that the differences between adult and juvenile courts of law have become undistinguishable. One of the biggest differences is the fact that juvenile courts do not normally have a jury to partake in the trial.

Instead, the judge is typically the one who has to decide with regard to the accountability of the defendant. Another major difference is the fact that bail is rarely taken into account when considering juvenile offenders. These people normally have to demonstrate that they do not represent a threat for the social order in order for the authorities to release them from custody.

In some cases penalties can be more severe for minors than they are for adults, as judges aim to provide them with more support as they attempt to reintegrate the social order. This often happens in situations when the crime is not especially severe. In other cases minors benefit from being a part of their community as a consequence of judges providing less serious penalties.

In a situation involving a serious crime, for example, an adult would risk being provided with a sentence of life imprisonment while a minor would be likely to be released while still in his twenties. Minors need to go through a more complex process in comparison to adults in a situation involving a small crime because the authorities are determined to help them gain a better understanding of the condition they are in and the ways they need to revise their thinking in order to successfully reintegrate the social order.

There are a series of factors that make it more likely for an individual to express interest in wanting to engage in illegal activities. These vary and can be identified in a series of situations, ranging from birth traumas to child abuse.

Problems within the family are often the reason why minors resort to committing crimes: the fact that their parents were either unwilling or unable to provide them with an education at home made it difficult for them to have a complex understanding of society and of the attitudes they need to adopt in order to avoid being penalized.

Peer influence is also an important factor when considering the way that minors perceive the surrounding world -- as a consequence of being influenced by their friends to consider that it would only be natural for them to engage in criminal activities, many children end up being unhesitant about committing illegalities. While the number of crimes committed by underage individuals experienced a steady growth from 1985 to 1997, it seems that things improved in recent years. "From 1985 through 1997, the number of delinquency cases climbed steadily (61%) then fell 27% from 1997 through 2010.

Juvenile courts handled 17% more cases in 2010 than in 1985." (Puzzanchera & Robson 1) A series of concepts are believed to have played an important role in this situation, with education aimed at having minors acknowledge the importance of behaving in ways that are in agreement with the law being among the most important reasons why things are better. The number of girls involved in juvenile criminal acts is significantly smaller in comparison to the number of boys responsible for the same action.

"Juvenile courts handled 381,500 cases involving females in 2010, compared with 986,700 cases involving males." (Puzzanchera & Robson 1) Juvenile courts provide a type of protection for juvenile delinquents, but in some cases particular individuals get transferred to adult criminal court as a consequence of the circumstances of their crimes. This process is called a "waiver" and it involves a judge wanting to remove the protections associated with juvenile courts.

"Although being tried in adult court gives a juvenile more constitutional protections, it has distinct disadvantages too -- including the potential for a more severe sentence and the possibility of serving time in an adult correctional facility." (When Juveniles Are Tried in Adult Criminal Court) A juvenile delinquent needs to be.