In this article, we shall evaluate the effectiveness of the measures that have been taken to control the children and adolescents who have a high risk of future offending. According to researchers, there has been a lot of arrests of young children and adolescents. Law enforcement in the United States for example arrested 2.4 million children aged 18 years and below. This was a 18% of all arrests made, 33% of all property crimes and 17% of the criminal activities that were committed that year (Snyder, 1999). More significant is that cases of cases of youthful offenders are on the rise on among the young female compared to their male counterparts and this situation is raising an alarm (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1999).
Living in areas that are disadvantaged causes juveniles to have low self control and bad tempers. These families are low income families that are on public assistance. Some of these juvenile parents are in the system as well. “Smith states that these juveniles have family members who are known to the justice system. He also states that police officers are more likely to arrest suspects in racially mixed or minority neighborhoods” (Crutchfield and Martinez, 2010 p913).
Family Life and Juvenile Delinquency Researchers have established that there many paths to juvenile delinquency and numerous risk factors that contribute to a youth’s opportunity to offend. The environment in which a child is raised plays a very crucial role in predicting their behaviour in adolescence and subsequent, in adulthood. Delinquency and criminal behaviour typically begin in the home and continue into society. Many modern criminologists argue that youth’s who were deprived of parental warmth and affection had weak family and social bonds and tended to develop a set of beliefs that were negative and hostile towards society (Walsh, 1991). Furthermore, child maltreatment is a consequential social problem.
(http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-juvenile-delinquency.htm) Delinquency- this is defined as, failure or omission of duty; a fault; a misdeed; an offense; a misdemeanor; a crime. (http://www.brainyquote.com/words/de/delinquency152392.html) Literature review Some researches that can help explain the causes of Juvenile delinquency are: The subdural theory. This is the inability of youths to achieve socially valued status and goals results in groups of young people forming deviant or delinquent subcultures, which have their own values and norms. (Eadie & Morley: 2003 p.552) The Strain Theory is part of the
Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, or youth crime, is participation in illegal behaviour by minors (juveniles) who fall under a statutory age limit. [1] Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centres, and courts. A juvenile delinquent is a person who is typically under the age of 18 and commits an act that otherwise would have been charged as a crime if they were an adult. Although persons under 18 can also be charged and tried as adults, depending on the type of offense committed. In recent years, the average age for first arrest has dropped significantly, and younger boys and girls are committing these crimes.
There are many reasons to prevent juveniles from becoming delinquents or from continuing to engage in delinquent behavior. The most obvious reason is that delinquency puts a youth at risk for drug use and dependency, school drop-out, incarceration, injury, early pregnancy, and adult criminality. Saving youth from delinquency saves them from wasted lives. Juvenile justice systems in the United States have long struggled with the inherent tension between their role in meting out punishment for violations of law and their role as an authoritative force for bringing about constructive behavior change in the wayward youth who commit those violations. Every single person living in the United States today is affected by juvenile crime.
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY THE FAMIL DISORGANISATION ISSUE INTRODUCTION Juvenile delinquency is one of the serious problems of deviation which the children of almost all the modern societies of the world are facing. There may be many social and psychological factors responsible for the drift in child’s conforming behaviour to delinquents. CAUSES FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY Broken home, Poverty, Illiteracy, Low socio- economic status, Behavioural problems, Peer groups, Negative impact of media. DEFINITION According to THE JUVENILE JUSTICE (CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN) ACT, 2000 "juvenile" or "child" means a person who has not completed eighteenth year of age; "juvenile in conflict with law" means a juvenile who is alleged to have committed an offence Reckless (1956) defines the term as “juvenile delinquents applies to the violation of criminal code or pursuit of certain pattern of behaviour disapproved for children and young adolescents” THEORIES SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY PRIMING EFFECTS THEORY STRAIN THEORY ANOMIE THEORY FAMILY DISORGANISATION Family disorganisation is the term includes any disorganisation in the family such as # Low socio economic status of the family, # Broken home, # Adultery, # Ill parental discipline etc. CONTINUES…..
Juvenile Delinquency in Secondary Schools Introduction Why is juvenile delinquency most prominent in the secondary school system? Why is it students participate in delinquent behaviours? Can juvenile delinquency lead to a state of depression or can it lead to suicide? Do you think it can also lead to life imprisonment? ‘Widely publicized school shootings during the late 1990’s and early years of the twenty-first century have raised public concerns about rising adolescent violence and created the perception that juvenile delinquency is increasing.’ Statistics shows that juvenile crime rates are actually declining.
What do you mean by Juvenile Delinquency ?? Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, or youth crime, is participation in illegal behavior by minors (juveniles) (individuals younger than the statutory age of majority). [1] Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers, and courts. A juvenile delinquent is a person who is typically under the age of 18 and commits an act that otherwise would have been charged as a crime if they were an adult. Depending on the type and severity of the offense committed, it is possible for persons under 18 to be charged and tried as adults.
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: FAMILY STRUCTURE Juveniles are thought to be mischievous, almost expected to be in trouble. Realizing and understand what is too far is a major factor. Any action has consequences, but the measure of recidivism is what determines a delinquent from simple mischief. Broken homes seem to have hardship written all over it. The link between a broken home and delinquency are strongly believed.