Juvenile delinquency is one of the most serious social concerns facing the American society today. In 2010, for instance, juvenile offenders accounted for approximately 8% of all reported homicides. For a society that still considers itself conservative, this figure is relatively high. It is these statistics that spur the researcher's interest in investigating the reasons why juveniles engage in crime, particularly juvenile crime. Past studies have shown that most juvenile crimes are committed between 3 p.m and 7 p.m., the period when a child has left school and is primarily under the care of the parent. The current study thus focuses on showing, using the social control and social disorganization theories of crime, that the lack of social support in the home environment is the primary cause of juvenile's involvement in violent crime. Unlike most studies in this area of study, the study adopts a qualitative approach. Twenty delinquent juveniles in a correctional facility were interviewed, and the researcher focused on establishing links between familial disorganization, particularly issues of divorce, single parenting and parent delinquency, and juveniles' involvement in crime. The findings indicate that if we are to effectively address the issue of juvenile homicide, parents need to ensure stable home environments and to take a more active role in their children's lives. This implies that parents ought to be at the center of any juvenile delinquency policies that we develop, otherwise, we are deemed to continue developing shallow intervention programs that only address part of the problem.
References
Burfeind, J.W. & Bartusch, D. (2011). Juvenile Delinquency: An Integrated Approach (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Crime Solutions. (n.d.). Juveniles. Crime Solutions. Retrieved 5 February 2015 from http://www.crimesolutions.gov/TopicDetails.aspx?ID=5
Heide, K.M. (1999). Young Killers: The Challenge of Juvenile Homicide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
Sandra, W. (2007). Understanding Criminology: Current Theoretical Debates (3rd ed.). Berkshire, England: McGraw Hill.
