Juvenile Delinquency -- Causes and Preventive Strategies
Juvenile delinquency defines negative behavior in young teens and children which result in serious and severe crimes. With the passage of time crimes committed by adolescents and young children have risen alarmingly. Several economic, social and family related issues are the core reasons behind the rise in juvenile delinquency. This paper discusses the core reason due to which young teens and children sought towards severe and intense crimes. It also discusses the preventive strategies which can easily be adopted in minimizing delinquent acts committed by young people.
Juvenile Delinquency -- Causes and Preventive Strategies
Juvenile Delinquency involves the participation of minors in criminal practices which deeply affects parents, neighbors, family and teachers. The social, economic and cultural conditions prevalent in a country determine the intensity and severity of juvenile delinquency there. The economic decline in poor districts of large cities has risen up the cases of…...
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References
Araki, Y., Braunchsweig, S., Conant, A. & Dabel, R. (2003). Juvenile Delinquency Prevention,
Juvenile Delinquency
Impact of Poverty, Health Problems, Family Problems on Increase in Juvenile Delinquency?
Juvenile delinquency and its causes have been studied extensively. Many factors that put adolescents at risk of becoming delinquent have been identified. The majority of youth who enter the child welfare system, and many of the youth who are caught up in the juvenile justice system have experienced abuse and neglect, dysfunctional home environments, destructive and inconsistent parenting practices, poverty, emotional and behavioral disorders, poor mental and physical health care, poor family-school relationships, exposure to deviant peers as well as community and societal problems that have contributed to their entry into the child welfare and juvenile justice systems (Miller, Davies & Greenwald, 5-6).
Poverty
The increasing depth of poverty for American children is shown not only in this change but also in dramatic changes in the nature of poverty. Children in poverty are increasingly concentrated in impoverished and underclass neighborhoods…...
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Works Cited
Apel, R., & Kaukinen, C. On the relationship between family structure and antisocial behavior: Parental cohabitation and blended households. Criminology, (2008). 46, 35-70.
Demuth, S., & Brown, S. Family structure, family processes, and adolescent delinquency: The significance of parental absence vs. parental gender. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, (2004). 41, 58-81.
Farnworth, M., Thornberry, T., Krohn, M., and Lizotte, A. Measurement in the study of class and delinquency: Integrating theory and research. J. Res. Crime Delinq. (1994). 31: 32 -- 61.
Fauth, R.C., Roth, J.L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. Does the neighborhood context alter the link between youth's after-school time activities and developmental outcomes? A multilevel analysis. Developmental Psychology, (2007). 43, 760-777.
Juvenile Delinquency and the Juvenile Justice System
Juveniles are represented either in the legal system through the juvenile family court designed for children many years ago or by the criminal court system meant for adults. The criminal court system is opted for children suspected of committing serious crimes although transfer is possible from juvenile justice system into adult court system. This legal system has been the source of problems for all children suspects.
Minors are immature and lack powers to resist immorality. Because of underdeveloped manners, they often fall in temptation and attraction to criminal activity. Juvenile delinquency is on the rise globally, and this has subjected them to legal action. esearch suggests that, every minor gets involved in delinquency, but the law catches up with a few. While legislation does not condone delinquency, many questions are coming up. Psychologists argue that delinquency is a reaction from the youth crying foul of…...
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References
Dembo, R., Williams, L., Wish, E.D., Getereu, A., Washburn, M., and Scmeidler, J., (1990).
Examination of the relationships among drug use emotional/psychological problems, and crime among youths entering a juvenile detention centre. International Journal of the Addictions, 1301-1340.
Gary, B.M., John, P., Norman, G.P., and Christopher, S. (2007). Psychological Evaluation for the Courts, Third Edition: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers.
Juvenile Delinquency
The link between abusive or neglectful behavior perpetrated on a child, and that child's delinquent or troubled behavior later in life, is justifiably of great concern to society. This paper references the literature on this topic and offers suggested interventions for the delinquent adolescent that was abused as a very young person.
"Neglect should be defined as an interaction between aversive parental behaviors and developmental stage…neglect can also be defined as an omission, which is either 'harmful to the child' or 'improper,' or can refer to the commission of behavior…" (Maughan, et al., 2010).
In the Journal of Research on Adolescence the authors review the history of society's awareness of child abuse, as a way of establishing the need for understanding the effects of childhood maltreatment. Albeit society has been aware of child neglect since the early 1900s, it wasn't until 1974 that federal legislation (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act)…...
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Works Cited
Chen, Wan-Yi, Propp, Jennifer, deLara, Ellen, and Corvo, Kenneth. (2011). Child Neglect and Its Association with Subsequent Juvenile Drug and Alcohol Offense. Child and Adolescent
Social Work Journal, Vol. 28, 273-290.
Leve, Leslie D., and Chamberlain, Patricia. (2004). Female Juvenile Offenders: Defining an Early-Onset Pathway for Delinquency. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 13(4), 439-452.
Maughan, Daniel, and Moore, Simon C. (2010). Dimensions of Child Neglect: an Exploration of Parental Neglect and Its Relationship with Delinquency. Child Welfare, 89(4), 47-60.
Juvenile delinquency: Why they happen and the possible remedies.
Juvenile delinquency has been a dominant debate in various spheres and for a long time and this debate do not seem to disappear any time soon. There have been various attempts to explain the concept and sense behind juvenile delinquency but little has been of corrective measure to this problem within the society. Despite there being various theories behind the juvenile delinquency, there are two explanations that come close to the real explanation.
The biological theory holds that delinquency is facilitated by brain dysfunction accompanied by impairment in learning. This brain dysfunction is related to the violent and aggressive behaviors, limited impulse control, and destructiveness as well as limited social adaptation. This theory portends that the brain dysfunction is linked to the ability to learn as well as presence of dyslexia, hyperactivity and aphasia which consequently turns one to deviant behavior, poor achievement…...
Elliott, D. (2001). Gender, delinquency, and society: a comparative study of male and female offenders and juvenile justice in Britain. London: Avebury.
Joseph A.W., (2013). Why Juveniles Commit Crimes. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.
Surely, this is somewhat disturbing when considering that he or she has no right to intimacy and that he or she is probable to suffer on a social level because individuals that he interacts with are likely to find out about his or her background.
Although they are a controversial juvenile delinquency prevention technique, boot camps are effective because they provide individuals with the chance to learn important information concerning how they need to behave in order to obtain positive results while in the social order. Consequent to being in a boot camp, individuals learn more about basic life skills, improve their physical condition, and have an increased self-esteem. Concomitantly, however, many individuals in boot camps risk being abused and fail to learn a lot because they are simply unable to adapt. This means that their self-esteem goes down and that they are probable to experience significant traumas throughout their…...
For those adults and children that admit guilt both systems offer procedures that safeguard and protect their rights ( LaMance, 2011).
There are also differences between the two systems these include; the underlying rationales of the juvenile system are that the youth are different in terms of development from adults and hence their behavior is malleable hence rehabilitation, treatment in addition to community protection are considered the primary and viable goals but when it comes to adult systems rehabilitation is not considered as a primary goal. Their operation is under the assumption that criminal sanctions should be proportional to the offense. The successful outcome of the punishment is seen as deterrence.
Another difference is the access to records in juvenile systems there are limitations that are placed on the public access to juvenile records since there is belief that the juvenile offenders can be rehabilitated and hence avoid unnecessary stigmatization. The…...
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References
WGBH Educational Foundation, (2012). Juvenile vs Adult justice. Retrieved November 3,
Studies indicate that "... A higher than average incidence of delinquency occurs among youngsters of the poorest social standing and with the lowest performance at school..." (Jarvelin et al., 1994, p. 230)
Similarly, studies also note that neighborhood influences on development was determinant on factors such as "...collective socialization, peer-group influence, and institutional capacity." (Sampson, Morenoff & Gannon-owley, 2002. p 443) Generally studies like the above present a negative picture of environmental and neighborhood influences.
The above analysis is also related to cultural issues such as the formation of gangs which is a factor that is related to delinquency in poverty-stricken areas. "The gang, a source of much delinquency, has been a common path for adolescents, particularly in the inner cities. "("Juvenile Delinquency," 2004) This also refers to the cultural and social norms in certain areas, where values and standards may accommodate behavior that is generally seen as delinquent. "Delinquent behaviour often…...
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Reference List
Anderson, D.C. (1998). When Should Kids Go to Jail. The American Prospect 72+. Retrieved December 2, 2006, from Questia database, http://www.questia.com .
Once a group gains the trust of neighborhood gangs and manages to encourage some positive community activities, the group should then seek support from area businesses and organizations to encourage such behavior. Teenagers often become involved with gangs because they want structure and security. Lacking such qualities at home, teenagers find such qualities within gangs, which have strong, defined hierarchies, specific rules and clearly defined behavior expectations. It no surprise that homes where there is little discipline, unclear or vague expectations, and little or no authority tend to produce teenagers that are most likely to participate in gangs. For that reason, teenagers that show a willingness to participate more positively in society should be encouraged by community organizations and businesses. Local organizations and businesses can do this by providing employment or membership to former gang members who have refuted their criminal pasts. By finding acceptance in community oriented organizations, juvenile…...
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Works Cited
Burgess, Ernest & Bogue, Donald J. (eds.) Contributions to Urban Sociology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1964
Gabbidon, Shaun. L, Greene, Helen T. Race, Crime, and Justice: A Reader. Routledge Press: New York. 2005
Hawkins, Darnell F. et al. Race, Ethnicity and Serious and Violent Juvenile Offending. U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Justice and Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. June 2000.
Jensen, Gary F. "Social Disorganization Theory." Encyclopedia of Criminology. Richard a. Wright (Editor). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. 2003.
(ampson, R. 1987) in one of the exhaustive juvenile crime studies that exist today, Professor Laub from the university of Maryland followed the lives of juvenile delinquent and non-delinquent boys at age 14, 25 and 32 respectively. All the boys were from the similar poor backgrounds and the results of the study helped identify a clear and conclusive pattern. Professor Laub found that low levels of parental supervision, harsh discipline and weak parental attachment were high risk factors for juvenile delinquency and adult criminal behavior. The study also reported that juvenile criminals were less likely to complete school, more likely to be jobless and likely to experience divorce and separation as adults. [JCPR]
tatistics show that the percentage of juvenile population living under poverty line has declined steadily since 1993. However, the figure is still quite high compared to the rate of adults living under poverty. As per the 2002…...
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School Dropout and Delinquency
The increasing high school dropout rate and the decline in the graduation rate has become a pressing problem for the United States. As per the national center for education statistics released in 2005, the graduation rate for the country has declined from an average of 73% in 1990 to just around 68% in 2005. (United Health Foundation). It is a disturbing trend since high school dropouts have problems finding good jobs and are at risk for delinquent behavior. Surveys have also found that young girls who dropout from high school are prone to become pregnant at a much younger age and consequently end up as single parents. (Alexa Lamm). In the increasingly technological corporate world that requires continuous update and learning, the opportunities for high school dropouts are very limited. Unemployment rates are much higher among high school dropouts than those who successfully complete their school graduation. Given the importance of a high school diploma for the future of the young people, researchers have studied the factors that affect school dropout rates both in the positive and negative context. Participation in extra curricular activities, in particular, has been found to have largely positive outcome in reducing the dropout rates.
The 1995 national level data analysis by the Department of Health and Human Services stresses the importance of extra curricular activities among adolescents. The researchers found that adolescent students who are not involved in extra curricular
Juvenile Delinquency
The Correlation Between Juvenile Delinquency and Mental Illness
Mental Illness
Juvenile Delinquency
The Correlation Between Juvenile Delinquency and Mental Illness
Juvenile delinquency and juvenile crime are serious issues in the United tates and other countries today. While it is important to stop crimes before they start, and to make sure that juveniles have other activities so they do not turn to crime, one of the overlooked areas has to do with the factors that relate to juvenile crime. Knowing what causes someone to commit delinquent acts, and what to do in order to stop those acts from occurring, are both very important tools in the fight against juvenile delinquency (Mulvey, Arthur, & Reppucci, 1997). Naturally, every juvenile is different. What causes one person to commit a delinquent act may not cause another person to do so. till, there are common, contributing factors to juvenile delinquency - and mental illness is one of the…...
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Some juvenile delinquents are sex offenders, and this is one of the most serious crimes in which juveniles can be involved. Usually, those who get involved with sexual offenses at an early age do so because they are being sexually abused and/or because they have some type of mental illness. Finding these juvenile offenders early and treating them for their problems is really the only way to ensure that juvenile sexual offenders do not continue their criminal activities into adulthood.
Zigler, E., Taussig, C., & Black, K. (1992). Early childhood intervention. A promising preventative for juvenile delinquency. American Psychologist, 47(8): 997-1006.
The earlier a treatment or prevention strategy is begun, the better off the juvenile will be. It appears as though juveniles are beginning to struggle with delinquency at younger and younger ages, and if they are not treated properly for the issues that cause their delinquency, they will face a long road of struggle. They can also cause harm to others, and if that can be avoided society will benefit from it.
(Causal Theories of Juvenile Delinquency: Social Perspectives)
Charles Cooley in his publication Human Nature and the Social Order analyzed the personal perception of juvenile delinquents by means of the studies of children and their imaginary friends. Cooley develops his theory around the imaginary concept of looking glass self, which is considered to be a type of imaginary sociability. People introspectively imagine through the eyes of others in their social circles and make judgments of themselves on the basis of such observations. (Howard Bechler's Labeling Theory)
Briefly, Cooley put forth that the perception of an individual is what he or she thinks regarding what other people think in relation to them and it influences in some respect the mode that individual perceives or feels regarding him or herself. His ideology thus reveals that another person or group of people influence the individual's perception and resultantly his or her behaviors, attitudes and norms.…...
Dawson, E. Murell; Chatman, Elfreda A. Reference group theory with implications for information studies: A theoretical essay. Information Research. April 2001. Vol. 6; No. 3; pp: 18-21
Juvenile Delinquency
There has always been a difference between juvenile and adults when it comes to criminal justice in this country. During the nineteenth century, the handling of juveniles in the United States started to change. Social reformers began to create special services to deal with troubled juveniles, particularly in large cities. In 1899, the first juvenile court in the United States was set up in Cook County, Illinois. The initiative quickly spread, and within twenty-five years, most states had established juvenile court systems. "The early juvenile courts shared with reform schools the same desire to rehabilitate rather than of punish juvenile offenders. They were based on the legal doctrine of parens patriae (a Latin term that means "parent of the country"). The parens patriae doctrine gives the state the power to serve as the guardian (or parent) of those with legal disabilities, including juveniles" (The History of Juvenile Justice, n.d.).
(Johnson, 2008, pp. 560 -- 567) This is significant, because it is corroborating the root causes of why someone will become involved in illegal activities at a young age. As a result, this source is providing us with a good rational for studying this issue and the long-term effects that it will have on communities.
The Importance of this Topic in Studying Criminal ehavior
Understanding juvenile delinquency will help to improve our ability to determine what individuals are most likely to become criminals as adults. This is based upon three different reasons to include: it will offer insights about their behavior, the role that the environment is playing in their development and how family could influence these people. When it comes to offering insights about their behavior, this establishes specific techniques for understanding what kinds of thinking and actions are common in those who are more likely to become anti-social. Once…...
The system of juvenile courts is vital in all the nations globally more so in the U.S. Its purpose is to control the welfare of children, provide guidance and counseling while taking care of kids who have been abandoned by their parents. These systems address problems facing children who are below 18 years of age. These courts have authority in addressing cases that involve support to children, terminating parents' rights, and detention. Juveniles who commit serious crimes are handled by higher courts. The juvenile courts also address cases involving young people who commit serious crimes. In addition, these courts are in charge of juveniles who commit traffic offences or who are involved in military crimes (Trulson & Carmen, 2005).
The high court judge will appoint judges in the new juvenile courts. These cases involve youth offenders who have gone against the law. Law experts have argued that a status…...
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References
Winterdyk, J. (2002). Juvenile Justice Systems: International Perspectives. New York: Canadian
Scholars' Press
Trulson, C. & Carmen, R. (2005). Juvenile Justice: The System, Process, and Law. California:
According to some authors, divorce is a problem when it comes to delinquency. Others do not see a strong correlation. For example,
"The variables that predict male delinquency were found to be different from those that predict female delinquency. Characteristics of the parents' marriage play an important role for boys, while misbehavior of girls is more strongly predicted by variables measuring parent-child interaction and parental control." comes from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1982.tb01014.x/abstract and appears to say that only boys are affected by factors in their parents' marriage when it comes to delinquency.
However, this article: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J087v39n01_07#.UnhDkOLufLY states that divorce is a cause of....
1. The long-term psychological effects of childhood abuse on adult mental health 2. The link between childhood abuse and addictive behaviors in adulthood 3. Exploring the relationship between childhood abuse and intimate partner violence 4. The role of childhood abuse in shaping attachment styles and relationships in adulthood 5. Examining the societal impact of childhood abuse and neglect on future generations 6. Understanding the cycle of abuse and its perpetuation through generations 7. The intersection of childhood abuse and poverty: Breaking the cycle of violence and neglect 8. The impact of childhood abuse on academic achievement and educational outcomes 9. Exploring cultural and societal factors that contribute to....
1. The psychological impact of cyberbullying on teenagers 2. The role of parents in preventing bullying behavior 3. The long-term consequences of bullying on its victims 4. The effectiveness of anti-bullying policies in schools 5. The connection between bullying and mental health issues 6. The impact of online gaming communities on bullying behavior 7. The correlation between bullying and substance abuse 8. The role of bystanders in addressing and preventing bullying 9. The impact of social media on the perpetuation of bullying 10. Strategies for promoting a culture of kindness and empathy to prevent bullying.
11. The intersection of bullying and discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or other....
Juvenile delinquency is a prevalent issue in society, with many young individuals becoming involved in criminal activities at an early age. In response to this problem, the Juvenile Act was established to address the unique needs and circumstances of juvenile offenders. This essay will explore the history and purpose of the Juvenile Act, as well as its impact on the juvenile justice system. Additionally, it will examine the effectiveness of the Juvenile Act in rehabilitating young offenders and preventing recidivism. By understanding the principles and provisions of the Juvenile Act, we can better comprehend its significance in promoting juvenile justice....
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