Essays On Juvenile Delinquency

Main Post: Juvenile delinquency is a problem that affects society as a whole. Understanding Juvenile delinquency is important because it is part of trying to figure out how people in American society should react to it; specifically, in terms of law enforcement officers, their agencies, and State legislators. When deviant behavior becomes "continuous, chronic and widespread it gets perceived as a significant part of the population as threatening to the general well–being of society" (Thompson and Bynum, 2010, p. 44). This is a societal problem that requires attention from various forms of social control. However, a lot of the burden is absorbed by an imperfect Juvenile Justice System. As time has passed, argument has ensued over...show more content...

The functionality of juvenile courts has increasingly become "a system of criminal social control to protect society from young offenders, rather than as a welfare agency to nurture and protect vulnerable children from a wrathful community" (Hickey, 2010). This shift has caused more of a focus on an individual as a criminal in contrast to the innocence of a child. In turn this has created hostility, which has led to more emphasis on social control and incarceration (Hickey, 2010). In addition, the shift has moved juvenile courts further away from a rehabilitative standpoint. The point of rehabilitating juveniles when they are in adolescence is to try to prevent adult criminal behavior. Another problem is that juvenile courts lack resources to provide social welfare for children. This issue was created because of state agencies having the "control over the institutions and programs to which judges send delinquents," rather than juvenile courts having the control (Hickey, 2010, p. 148). The lack of resources by juvenile courts has occurred because the responsibility of providing child welfare does not rest solely with the juvenile courts (Hickey, 2010). The best way to describe this problem is that "providing child welfare is a societal responsibility, not simply a judicial one" (Hickey, 2010, p. 148). Some people support reform of the juvenile court system to re–emphasize its social welfare agency aspect. They suggest that more

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Juvenile Delinquency Essays

Over the years, countless efforts have been made to find a comprehensive explanation for delinquency. The results of these efforts have offered possible reasons as being both biological and social. It is still debatable as to what forces have the greatest influence on youth crime, but it is undoubted that several factors clearly make an impact. The direct relationships a child has with concrete social elements, like his family and friends, are likely to give some intimation of his involvement in crime. However, it must be noted that there are more abstract contexts for socialization that also exist as potential explanations for a child's behavior.

The most prominent of these less specific forces are the media, community, andreligion....show more content...

In accomplishing this, religion also deterred people from crime by making them concentrate on their social roles, while ignoring the oppression of stratified economic systems. Durkheim asserted that "social order could be maintained only if people had common beliefs in something greater than themselves" (Jensen and Rojek 309). He saw religion as very interconnected with social values as it contributed to a loss of strong communal bonds between the tenants of Western society. As people begin to believe more in themselves and less in a higher power, Durkheim argued, they become less committed to an interdependent society and highly prone to selfish acts of lawlessness. Weber, another distinguished sociologist, attributed social deviance to religious factors as well. He believed that "religious institutions were intertwined with other institutions," contributing to both progressive and regressive social development (Jensen and Rojek 309).

These three attempted to explain the social importance of religion, while only scratching the surface of its relationship to crime. Although they fail to adequately expand on the subject, the ideas of these influential thinkers represent some basic thoughts on the religious causes of crime, and they have led to successive investigations of religion and delinquency. Surprisingly, facts about crime and religion over the

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Juvenile Delinquency Essay

Juvenile Delinquency

There is no doubt that various experts can give us many theories as to the causes of juvenile delinquency, including one's economic background, substance abuse, delinquent peer groups, repeated exposure to violence, increased availability of firearms and media violence, however, I feel that the number one cause of juvenile delinquency is the breakdown of families, including lack of parental control over children. It is ironic in America, today, one must have a driver's license to operate a vehicle, a permit to own a gun and even a license to own a dog, but one does not have to have training or a license in order to become a parent. Without specialized educational programs in child development and parenting, many of...show more content...

It brought attention to youths neglected by their parents, or approval of delinquent friends, or it solved problems of an unhappy home life in other ways. A study by the National Institute of Justice also determined that youths from neglectful homes, single parent homes and homes in which substance abuse was a problem had a greater likelihood of being charged as a juvenile of a crime or status offense. In fact, research has shown that fifty three percent of these children are more likely to be arrested and thirty eight percent more likely to commit an act of violence. Between 1976 and 1996, the number of juveniles living in poverty grew 42 percent. Along with this growth, crimes committed by juveniles also grew. From as early as the turn of the century, experts in juvenile delinquency (Morrison, 1915) have recognized thefamily's early and primary role in influencing delinquency. These experts concluded that family dysfunction and poor parental supervision and socialization are major influences on children's subsequent delinquency. Unfortunately, society did not take action on these earlier findings, thus it has only been recently that the impact of family factors has received much attention or research funding. The implications of existing research are that the family environment can either protect children from subsequent delinquency or put them at greater

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Juvenile Delinquency Everyday we read in the newspaper or watch T.V and hear news of crimes committed by Juveniles. With all of the crime being reported by the media about juveniles, one can't help but wonder if all of our nation's youth are juvenile delinquents. Although there are many cases where the juvenile did not commit a serious crime, there are others where the crime is so bad the juvenile court system tries the juvenile as an adult. Instead of seeking help for the individual, our justice system places them in adult facilities to "teach them a lesson." The justice system fails to see what the cause of this outbreak is in a child whether it was abuse, neglect, or where they grew up. The juvenile justice system needs to see that by...show more content...

Usually, the maximum age is eighteen for juvenile court, but some states have lowered the age limit. There are many different causes to the development of juvenile delinquents; there are also many different theories such as the Rational Choice Theory and the Social Disorganization Theory. Randall Shelden, author of Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society, states that the rational choice theory is when " choices are often not based on pure reason and rationality; rather, they are determined by a host of factors" (Shelden 187). For example, many young children are motivated to join gangs through the rational choice theory. "Clearly, many acts of delinquency are planned and carried out with specific consequences in mind. However, when we are dealing with youngsters, it is important to remember that often, youth do things with little fore thought of their consequences" (Shelden 67). In other words, the juvenile weighs the pros and the cons and makes a rational decision based on the outcome of the costs. According to Robert Shelden," Social disorganization theory has been one of the most popular and enduring sociological theories of crime and delinquency" (Shelden 7). Many factors of society play into the role of the social disorganization theory leading to the cause of juvenile delinquency. Factors such as the community, age, race, sex, school and poverty play into the role of social disorganization theory. Donald Shoemaker, author of Theories of Get more content

Juvenile Delinquency Essay

A juvenile delinquent offense is an act committed by a juvenile for which an adult would be tried at a criminal court. New statistics give an alarming picture: juvenile delinquency is higher as never before. According to the census bureau, in 2008 there were 1,653,000 recorded delinquent offenses in the United States. This is a 23.6% increase from 1990 when 1,337,000 delinquent offenses occurred. Today, a lot of people demand lowering the age of criminal responsibility and draconian penalties (Jenson & Howard, 1998; Melton, Petrila, Poythress, Slobogin, 2007). These individuals react to this obvious social crisis with an attempt to fight the phenomenon with curbing the symptoms but without considering the causes which are created...show more content...

This paper will give an overview of the causes of juvenile delinquency, the treatment, and an excursion to other countries and their causes of delinquency. The increasing globalization and the need for collaboration between the different countries make this comparison necessary. Causes of Juvenile Delinquency

There are many theories that attempt to explain the causes of juvenile delinquency. Those theories either focus on the individual or on the society as a major influencing factor. Theories that consider the individuals as the cause, assume that children and juveniles commit crimes because they were not penalized for previous misdeeds or assume that the juveniles have learned their criminal behavior through the interaction with others (Ferguson, San Miguel, & Hartley, 2009). A person that is alienated from society may be more prone to committing crimes. The theories that question the role of society in juvenile delinquency, assume that children, that commit crimes, act because frustration about their inability to develop beyond their socio–economic status or try to reject the dominating values of society (Brezina, 2008).

Most theories of juvenile delinquency deal with children from disadvantaged families and ignore the fact that children from rich families also commit crimes. Those juveniles merely do not get arrested as frequently (Tapia, 2010). This group of juveniles can commit crimes because they

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I couldn't begin to cover all the possible reasons that may cause an adolescent to become a "juvenile delinquent." During my research, I found that the term juvenile delinquency is defined a number of ways. Mosby's Medical Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary summed up juvenile delinquency best with this definition; "resistant antisocial, illegal, or criminal behavior by children or adolescents to the degree that it cannot be controlled or corrected by the parents, endangers others in the community, and becomes the concern of a law enforcement agency"(1994).

I found that most theories about what causes delinquency in children and adolescents originate with families and parenting. Many statistics and studies have been...show more content... These advocates sort of differentiate between good and bad violence on TV. One example is the popular television show Law and Order, which is divided into two sections. In each episode is the depiction of a crime, followed by a trial of the accused.

Probably the most controversial focus of juvenile delinquency causation can be attributed to the breakdown of families, giving rise to a large number of single parent households. According to Robert L. Maginnis, a link does exist between single parent families, juvenile delinquency and crime.

"Children from single–parent families, he argues, are more likely to have behavior problems because they tend to lack economic security and adequate time with parents" (Maginnis, 1994). "Children from single–parent families are two to three times more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems than are children in two parent families" (Bender, Leone, 1997 p.64). This report goes on to say these children "are more likely to drop out of school, to get pregnant as teenagers, to abuse drugs, and to be in trouble with the law." Bender and Leone cite a study from the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency that reports the most reliable indicator of violent crime in a community is the proportion of fatherless families. Fathers typically offer

Juvenile Delinquency

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).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.

In recent years, the average age for first arrest has dropped significantly, and younger boys and girls are committing...show more content... Because most teenagers tend to show some form of antisocial, aggressive or delinquent behavior during adolescence, it important to account for these behaviors in childhood, in order to determine whether they will be life–course–persistent offenders, or adolescents–limited offenders.Although adolescent–limited offenders tend to drop all criminal activity once they enter adulthood, and show less pathology than life–course–persistent offenders, they still show more mental health, substance abuse, and finance problems, both in adolescence and adulthood, than those who were never delinquent.

Sex differences

Juvenile offending is disproportionately committed by young men. Feminist theorists and others have examined why this is the case. One suggestion is that ideas of masculinity may make young men more likely to offend. Being tough, powerful, aggressive, daring and competitive becomes a way for young men to assert and express their masculinity.Acting out these ideals may make young men more likely to engage in antisocial and criminal behavior. Also, the way young men are treated by others, because of their masculinity, may reinforce aggressive traits and behaviors, and make them more susceptible to offending. Alternatively, young men may actually be naturally more aggressive, daring and prone to risk–taking. According to a study led by Florida State Get

Juvenile Delinquency

I. The harsh beginnings.

Children were viewed as non–persons until the 1700's. They did not receive special treatment or recognition. Discipline then is what we now call abuse. There were some major assumptions about life before the 1700's.

The first assumption is that life was hard, and you had to be hard to survive. The people of that time in history did not have the conveniences that we take for granted. For example, the medical practices of that day were primitive in comparison to present–day medicine. Marriages were more for convenience, rather than for child–bearing or romance. The second assuption was that infant and child mortality were high. It did not make sense to the parents in those days to create...show more content...

Industrialization.

Industrialization set into motion the processes needed for modern juvenile delinquency. The country had gone from agriculture to machine–based labor–intensive production. Subsistence farming quickly turned into profit making. People who were displaced from their farm work because of machinery were migrating to the city to find work. This led to urbanization in such places as Chicago, which in turn caused the cities to burst at the seams.

II. Urbanization.

There was a huge increase in the amount of movable goods that were produced. These movable goods were easy to steal. The stealing of these goods made property crime rise tremendously in these urban centers. The wealth of the upper–class increased, and stealing became a way of living. These large urban centers also created another problem. The work place was now seperated from the home. During the hard times both parents took jobs. There was also very little for the youths to do, especially when school was not in session. It was then that youths were becoming increasingly unsupervised. These youths were largely unemployed. Without supervision, and with movable goods easily available, stealing became a way of life.

The huge influx of people to these urban areas overwhelmed society. The factories could not keep up, and unemployment became a factor. Poverty became widespread.

III. Salvage Attempts.

Poorhouses were created to keep youthful offenders away from trouble. The idea

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Scholars have conducted many research to determine what causes juvenile delinquency. Some argue that delinquency occurs through association or from labels society have placed on the individual. Regardless of the results, parent (s) play a major role in the occurrence of juveniles engaging in deviant behavior. If a child lacks the love, affection, stability, and security from his/her parent (s), than the child will seek these such things from their peers. Juveniles often times seek love, affection, stability, and security from other youths that are experiencing the same problem. Once these youths get together, they start to reject society's expectations and create their own rules. Due to the lack of parental supervision, these youths start to engage in property and violent crimes. Society recognize their groups as deviant and define them as a gang. Over the years, there have been an increase in juveniles joining gangs. Juvenile gangs can be viewed as dangerous. They deal with illegal crimes: distribution of drugs, possession, prostitution, carry firearms, burglary, theft, and murder. Many scholars conducted their own definitions of gangs. However, there is no single definition. According to the National Institution of Justice, "much of the research literature about gangs focuses primarily on youth gangs, as opposed to adult gangs. Researchers accept the following criteria for classifying groups as gangs: the group has three or more members, generally aged 12–24, members

Adolescence is always a critical moment in the development of every individual. The desire to prove their independence and adulthood, juvenile maximalist provokes a teenager into committing deviant acts, including crimes. The problem with juvenile delinquency is one of the most urgent in modern society since it reaches alarming proportions. Particularly, crimes committed by adolescents with mental diseases occupy a special place among juvenile delinquency. A mental disorder can be a complementary provoking factor leading to juvenile delinquency, which has to be taken into consideration while choosing the appropriate punitive approach.

Personal Opinion

Teenagers suffering from mental illnesses are more susceptible to the influence of external factors. Thus, when they find themselves in an unfavorable environment, they are more likely to commit offenses. As a rule, mental disorder is only one of the common causes of juvenile delinquency, while turbulent social and family relations are at the root of youthcrime.

Juveniles' with Mental Illnesses Delinquency Reasons Motivation

1. Motivating factors and their possible combinations.

2. Motivational impetus for any crime is different for every individual; however, they can correlate with each other (Dare, Mallett, & Boitel, 2011, p. 210).

3. Comparison of motivations of mentally healthy adolescents for committing crimes with those who suffer from a mental disorder.

4. Motives for committing crimes against certain

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Juvenile Delinquency Essay examples

As stated by Bartol and Bartol "Juvenile delinquency is an imprecise, nebulous, social, clinical, and legal label for a wide variety of law– and norm–violating behavior" (2011, Pg 139). The juvenile delinquency term has come to imply disgrace in today's correctional institution. Our government is up hold to procedures and expected to come with a solution to solving the delinquent problem. An underage offender can be labeled a delinquent for breaking any number of laws, ranging from robbery to running away from home, and especially being involved in school violence. The following situations faced by correction officials when dealing with juvenile delinquents will be examined. Three main areas (child development, punishments, and deterrence...show more content...

Children need to have a role model in their presence to advocate educational activities, community involvement, and avoiding contact with the law for bad behavior. As Baker states, "Delinquents are made, not born" (1991, Pg. 274). Possible noncriminal behaviors that may affect a juvenile to become delinquent include; child neglect and/ or abuse, termination of parental rights, foster home placements, those beyond parental control, interfamily assault and other criminal acts (Baker, 1991, Pg. 275). Parents must learn to teach family conflict intervention, management problems, favorable parental attitudes and involvement in problem behaviors. At an early age we learn to do what it thought, showed, and have the adult figure set the example in our lives. For example, helping with academic failure, avoid delinquent criminal peers, and guide away from drug use and crime. Adolescent problem behaviors start with the parents, then move into the community, and society must respond by providing alternative programs and institutions to help the problem. Moreover, punishment for juvenile delinquents may be the only resource available for correction officials. The juvenile justice system defines three categories of offenders: dependent, neglected, and delinquent. As defined by Seiter, "dependent children have committed no legal offense but may be without a family (parent or guardian) or without support, possibly the parent is physically or mentally unable to act in that capacity,

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In our society today, juvenile delinquency is causing a lot of problems for the police force and for anyone connected to juvenile justice system. I give all my respect for people who work in law enforcement and for those who are social workers. These people put their lives at risk everyday when they put on the uniform and go out to patrol the streets to keep the peace and uphold the laws of America. The youth in our society today have no respect for authority and will not obey laws because they think they are untouchable. Personally, I think a lot of this falls back on the parents. A lot of parents nowadays are just as bad as the youths and are not good role models. According to the Department of Justice, "The juvenile arrest rates for all crimes reached its highest level in past two decades in 1996, and declined by 68% by 2015".

According to the Department of Justice, "In 2015, 2,751 juveniles were arrested per 100,000 juveniles ranging from the age 10 to 17". According to the Department of Justice, "Following a steady decline since 2006, the juvenile ViolentCrime Index arrest rate reached a new historic low–point in 2012". The violent crime trend for juveniles has been on steady decline since 1994. According to the Department of Justice, "The juvenile arrest rate for all crimes decreased substantially for both males and females since the peak in 1996, and is at the lowest level for both genders since 1980". Also, on a side note juvenile males are still committing crimes Get

Adolescence is a period of life full of growth both physically and emotionally, shaping of who a person is, and learning from the people one is surrounded by. During this time adolescents begin to realize that rules are man–made, and in an attempt to assert independence and become autonomous, they often create conflict with parents and other authority figures. Research suggests that behavior problems can stem from the child, the parent, their relationship with each other, or their environment (Holden 248). The presence and attentiveness of caregivers is vital for adolescents to appropriately develop. Parental support is defined as the level of involvement, love, emotional availability, and responsiveness shown by a parent figure (Holden 119). Parents who provide proper support for their children must also make it a priority to know their children. Monitoring is a parent's knowledge of who a child is with and where the child is at and involves both the willingness of the child to communicate and to disclose such information (Holden 286). Criminologists find consistent evidence to support that a child's strong attachment to his or her parents and close supervision provided by parents are correlated, which ultimately cultivates lower crime rates (Brauer 1). When juveniles lack these factors necessary to develop into stable adults, they may search for support or approval elsewhere and often turning to juvenile delinquency to achieve it. In simple terms, juvenile delinquency is

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Adolescence and Juvenile Delinquency Essay

"I think it's important for us as a society to remember that the youth within juvenile justice systems are, most of the time, youths who simply haven't had the right mentors and supporters around them – because of circumstances beyond their control. "

Q'orianka Kilcher

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (1980) defines adolescence as "the state or process of growing up"; even more specifically, adolescence is also defined as "the period of life from puberty to maturity terminating legally at the age of majority". Looking back on their adolescence, adults often conjure up grand memories, and laugh at their mistakes. Adolescence is a period in life that everyone must 'survive' in order to become an adult, although some go...show more content...

Juvenile Delinquency is defined by Webster's as "a status in a juvenile characterized by antisocial behavior that is beyond parental control and therefore subject to legal action" as well as "a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment". In short, juvenile delinquency involves any criminal behavior committed by a minor. There is no question that there has been an increase in delinquent behavior since the days of our parents' adolescence. Activities such as 'rolling' neighbors' houses, egging mailboxes/windows, or graffiti on park benches has been replaced by more serious activities such as spray painting buildings, breaking and entering, or even early drug use. Today's juveniles do not seem to fear, or even respect authority as previous generations have. Lack of discipline in the home and a much more tolerant society is not help to a steadily increasing juvenile delinquency rate. An unstable home environment can draw teenagers to join gangs or engage in premarital sex, to name just a couple of 'acting out' behaviors. Children need to be taught at an early age not only the difference between right and wrong, but also the positive results attained from practicing respect and moral values. If parental guidance fails, or if an adolescent veers too far off the path, then usually outside forces will step in to the situation.

Parens Patriae is literally defined as Get

Juvenile Delinquency: A Qualitative Study

Introduction

The problematic conditions that led to this study is the alarming rate that result in juveniles being catapulted into the adult criminal justice system. The inclusion of female recidivism that result in adult incarceration is a tremendous concern. Review of the literature would suggest changes in policy such as zero tolerance school policies is part of the reason more juveniles are ending up in the juvenile justice system. Overall, programs addressing juvenile delinquency and its prevention are not gender specific. When examining the reasons why girls and boys become delinquent they have different pathways. According to Day, Zahn, and Tichavsky (2015) some girls require programming that is structured around their pathways into...show more content...

The current literature focuses on programs that divert juveniles from entering the adult criminal justice system; however, there is a lack of focus on programs that are gender specific. Day, Zahn, and Tichavsky (2015) argue that feminist scholars suggest girls are developmentally different from boys and their entry pathway into the juvenile justice system are different as well. There is a propensity for researchers and evaluators to improperly align their research resulting in the misconception of young people (Zeller–Berkman, 2010). This qualitative study will use a Critical Theory lens to examine and explore the effects of gender specific recidivism and diversion programs implemented in the juvenile justice system. According to Grant and Osanloo (2014) as research develops other theories may come into view, therefore tenants from a feminist point of view will be introduced in order to compensate for the generalizations that may overlook the need for a feminist perspective about juvenile delinquent girls. The research question is: What is the experience of juvenile delinquent girls in juvenile delinquent diversion programs? What is the meaning of gender differences concerning recidivism in juvenile

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Juvenile Delinquency Essay

Juvenile delinquents, or youth that have been convicted of a crime, seem to be the norm these days. Citizens, families, and poliy makers want new programs and policies within the juvenile justice system. Researchers have found that the family structure can be a precursor to delinquent behavior, and families do not have the control or blance that they once did. As such, mew measures need to be implemented to help these families in crisis. Rehabilitation of the family unit is the answer, say many, not punishment. In response to this, new ideas have formed to rehabilitate the family unit, but first, the family structures that are precursors to delinquent behavior must be identified. "Family Life, Delinquency, andCrime: A Policymaker's...show more content...

The book focuses on single–parent homes, parental involvement, family tension and family economics as key factors of juvenile delinquency. Although, Mr. Trojanowicz states "family economics plays a key role in determining juvenile delinquency. A family's inability to provide for the material needs of a child can create insecurity in a child, thus, the child may seek material needs and suport from outside the family" (77). In conclusion he finds that many delinquents do not come from low–income families, and the economic condition of the family is probably one of the least meaningful contributing factors. The research clearly shows and supports the theory that the family structure is directly related to juvenile delinquency. What is society doing to help these families in trouble? "Competency Training," the Office of Juvenile Justice and Dleinquency Prevention (OJJDP), examines one of the family programs that have been established. The program they examined was, "Iowa's Strenghtening Families Program. (ISFP) The SFP is a 7–week course designed to bring parents together with their 10 to 14 year old children, with the goal of reducing substance abuse and other problem behavior in youth. The curriculum uses parallel content to emphasize, to the family and the youth, improved parenting skills, and better communication for both parents and the youth. For example, while the parents are learning how to use consequences when youth break rules, youth

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The Problem Of Juvenile Delinquency Essay

Abstract 250 words Introduction The problem of juvenile delinquency is not new to the society. It occurs in all societies simple as well as complex. Juvenile Delinquency is committing of criminal acts or offences by minors, i.e. juveniles (individuals younger than the statutory age of majority). These acts does not follow under the category of 'crimes' as they would be for adults. Rather, crimes committed by minors or juveniles are called 'delinquent acts'. It is not only a legal problem but also a psychological problem and the one who has to tackle it has to consider both psychological and familial angles of the problem. It includes two types of behaviors, i.e. status and delinquent offences. Status offences are the ones which are inappropriate or unhealthy for children and the adolescents and thus the behavior is prohibited because of the age of the offender. Smoking, drinking, truancy and running away from home are some examples of status offences. Delinquent offences mean violation of legal statutes. For example, murder, rape, assault, harassment, stalking, robbery, etc. Special courts are established with specially trained Magistrates for the trial of the delinquents. Instead of a 'trial', the juvenile has 'adjudication', after which he/she receives a 'disposition' and a sentence. It also provides for the formation of reformatory schools for the delinquents. In a developing country like India the problem of juvenile neglect and delinquency is considerably increasing

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Introduction Of Juvenile Delinquency

Introduction of Juvenile Delinquency According to the United States Department of Justice, a juvenile is defined as any person who has not reached their eighteenth birthday yet. Hence, juvenile delinquency is defined as the violation of law by any person under the age of eighteen. Scholars take interest in juvenile delinquency because it offers the ability to assess criminal motivations in young individuals and make determinations on whether crime is biologically influenced, environmentally influenced, or both. Researching juvenile crimes can also help understand recidivism rates and offer insight on reducing juvenile offenses.

Historical Development Juvenile delinquency is the act of an individual, under the age of eighteen, breaking a law. A law is a written set of enforceable rules and regulations that if broken can result in consequences. Laws can be dated back at far as 1754 BC in ancient Mesopotamia with the Code of Hammurabi. Though, laws still exist today – they are very different from ancient Mesopotamia days and so is the treatment of juveniles. Prior to the nineteenth century, juveniles were treated in the same manner as adults. The roots of the modern juvenile justice system can be traced back to the English Common Law. Under common law determinations were made as to whether or not a child was criminally responsible for their behavior. In order for a child to be deemed criminally responsible the child had to be of a certain age and certain intelligence

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Research Paper On Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile Delinquency: Genetic or Environmental "Oh, well, I'll end up in jail anyway! It's in my genes!" This was the heartfelt declaration of a 15 year–old teen. Was it inevitable that he follow in his father's footsteps on the path of delinquent behavior and subsequent brushes with the law? Was juvenile delinquency actually a by–product of genetics or could it be a product of "behavioral sink"– that environmental abyss that absorbs so many teens?

Definition of delinquency

Although arguable on both sides, environment clearly has the lead in determining juvenile behavior. The very definition of juvenile delinquency states: "Delinquency is a major social problem. Delinquents are likely to come from a background of...show more content...

A child is highly influenced by his family from the moment he is born. This is the first time he interacts with his surroundings. The family will be his primary source of influence during his pre–school years. That is the time when he develops sound coping skills. These skills will come into play when he becomes a teenager. In an excerpt from the family.org website, "one of the root causes of juvenile violence is family instability. This is one of the characteristics shared among the vast majority of violent juveniles. But, research has shown that in most cases, family stability can trump negative influences that might otherwise lead to a child's violent behavior. Does a certain temperament lead to violent behavior? Do certain physical anomalies make some kids prone to violence more than others? Does a child's physical or mental make up determine whether he will grow up to be a violent juvenile? The answer, according to the best research is "it depends". It depends upon the child's family. In the war against juvenile violence, research shows that there is no more effective weapon than a healthy family."(J.

Thomas,

2004) Although researchers vary in their research methods, there is a commonality evident in their findings. Family is the fabric that melds a teenager into a productive adult. Despite the many conflicts that a teen encounters on a daily basis, the functional family is always there to Get

Juvenile Delinquency

Outline

I.Introduction

A.Opener:

B.Thesis statement: This term paper explores how family issues attribute to juvenile delinquency and how to overcome it.

II.First and foremost, an unstable family structure is one of the contributing factors to juvenile delinquency.

A.Single–parent household vs. two–parent household

B.Child maltreatment

1.emotional neglect

2.physical abuse

III.Secondly, studies have shown thatjuvenile delinquency is conclusively related to the family environment.

A.Family cohesion

B.Increasing number of siblings

1.large family size

2.less attention from parents

3.more conflicts occur among family members

IV.Moreover, one of the determinants which leads to juvenile delinquency is parents' behavior.

A....show more content...

This is because family is the primary setting where children start to learn acceptable way of socializing and thinking. Physical abuse from their parents has encouraged them to practice aggressive behavior to solve problem and obtain desired results (Boss, 2012). Furthermore, Weatherburn and Lind (1997) found that children who have been being emotional neglect are more likely to involve in social crime. Research has shown that teenagers who are being emotionally neglect for a long period may feel depress and anxious may result in illicit drug, teen suicide and alcohol abuse (Hammen, 1996). Besides, they may also feel insecure and use violent acts to protect themselves. Abandonment leads them to join gangs in order to find the sense of belonging. Additionally, long period of rejection and abandonment may cause teenagers to become emotionally numb. They can feel neither sympathy nor care. Thus, they do not feel either guilty or regret for their violent behavior. Besides, they

are also not able to consider the consequences of their aggressive acts rationally (Hammen, 1996). Secondly, studies have shown that juvenile delinquency is conclusively related to the family environment (Hammen, 1996). As one of the strongest socializing forces in life, family is the primary place to cultivate children's behavior. According to Hammen (1996), the presence of affectionate relationship between family