Youth Justice 1, How Have Criminologists Explain

Youth Justice

1, HOW HAVE CRIMINOLOGISTS EXPLAIN YOUTHFULL CRIMINALITY?

According to studies, youthful criminality is the result of many separate factors. Among these include the disproportionate amount of sensationalism surrounding crime (Okoronkwo, 2008, p. 2). Sensationalism includes an unspoken support for crime as demonstrated through various media outlets. This may include violence presented in the media, in the way of television, magazines, and video games (Jewkes, 2004). Parents can encourage this by allowing in discretionary use of video games and indiscriminate viewing of television without controls. This is unhealthy and may support increasing violence and criminal behavior. This sensationalism comes both in the form of sensationalizing crime as something desirable, and sensationalizing the individuals responsible for crime.

Other factors that lead to youthful criminality include the hype surrounding the appeal of crime, or the benefits of crime and the appeal of youth crime among youths. Crime is often portrayed as an appealing option to youths, as something popular and desirable, particularly in the media (Muncie, 2004; Hugh & Roberts, 2003). This may appear in the way of support for cliques in school, or gang support in the streets. Some may view such activity as harmless, when it fact it can lead to theft, robbery, or in the worst cases, death (Goldson & Muncie, 2006). Juveniles that watch more than 2 hours of television or other violent media each day are more than three times as likely to participate in violent or aggressive crimes as their non-violent peers (Goldson & Muncie, 2006). Other factors contributing to youth crime include at risk youth. These risk factors include low socio-economic conditions that contribute to crime.

Factors within poverty stricken areas that may contribute to crime may include interracial homicides or gang-related crimes that can contribute to overall criminal environments where juveniles may be living (Jewkes, 2004). Typically at risk youths include those that are raised in conditions that contribute to crime; these youths may be subject to neglect, abuse, poor economic conditions, illiteracy, and lack of resources to proper education, funding and support. Youths that are abused are more likely to become abusers as they get older, which is why it is critical to provide them with proper counseling before they become adults raising their own children. Proper rehabilitative measures may predisposition these youths to become contributing members of society, rather than criminals, if they are given proper advantages and resources, counseling and support, at the first signs of trouble. Support may be ongoing until a time the youth is capable of supporting themselves in society. This requires appropriate intervention at the earliest stages of criminal activity. Far too often rehabilitation begins once a juvenile has already been incarcerated for criminal activity years after they have become hardened criminals (Macdonald, 1997). Interventions that occur early on have a much greater chance of reducing the rates of recidivism among youths, and thus assisting youths in becoming contributing, succeeding members of society.

2 OUTLINE THE RULES AND PROCEDURES WITH REGARD TO DEALING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ACCUSED OF A CRIME, EXPECIALLY THEIR RIGHTS AT THE POLICE STATION AND ISSUES RELATING TO BAIL AND REMAND, IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

There are many rules and regulations in place that help minimize the impact of crime on youths in England and Wales. Most of these rules are in place to help curb crime, while other regulations are in place to help deal with the crimes that have already happened. A lot of reform measures are in place that have helped reduce the crimes that have been happening among youths. Other judicial systems are starting to model their practices after the ones England and Wales are adopting (Natale, 2010). This will likely have a domino effect, reducing crime among youths in other places as much as it has reduced crime in England and Wales.

At present, the minimum age youths are responsible for crimes and criminal activities in England and Wales is 10 (Natale, 2010). This aligns with research that suggests the earlier intervention takes place, the more likely rehabilitative measures are to have effect. In other areas of Europe the age may range between 15 and 18; thus one may see the severity with which youth crime is dealt with in England and Wales (Natale, 2010). In the year 2010 approximately 2,209 youths were in custody in England and Wales (Natale, 2010). The costs associated with youth offenders between 2008 and 2009 was roughly 4 billion pounds a year; within roughly 70,000 school age children entering the criminal justice system each year (Natale, 2010 p. 4). To help tackle the problem, an extra 54,000 pounds was committed to help combat rates of anti-social behavior in youths, and funding in the amount of 4.5 million pounds in the summer of 2009 was committed by the London Metropolitan Police Force to help tackle youth crime (Natale, 2010, p. 4). Within juvenile facilities, non-violent youth games are the only video games or entertainment games permitted; youths are encouraged to participate or ordered into rehabilitative programmes and supervised community service programs. They must also participate in curfews, "exclusion and prohibitions" that may include supervision and surveillance programmes (Natale, 2010, p. 5). Youths that are incarcerated for serious crimes may receive "14 years in custody under Section 90/91 and be sentenced to a secure training house (STH) and a local authority secure children's home (LASCH) or youth offender's institution (YOI) (Natale, 2010, p. 5). These measures have been put in place to curtail violent and repeat crimes among youths, particularly among youths between the age of 10 and 18. These measures have helped England and Wales realize a reduction in crime by as much as 21.6% in 2009 alone (Natale, 2010). This was among first-time offenders.

First time offenders are also not receiving electronic tagging so that judicial offenders can trace them and follow up with them to monitor their progress. This system has proved very effective not only as a tracking method, but also as a deterrent for criminal activity among youths that have been warned but have not yet been incarcerated for criminal activity (Natale, 2010). Further studies need to be conducted to determine what if any additional measures may be taken to help reduce crime among juveniles in England and Wales.