Preview

Juvenile delinquency

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2033 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile Delinquency

Do we still have hope? Our future is in the hands of the young children who are growing up to be delinquents. Delinquency is when a juvenile has engaged in a criminal act and this problem has become a social norm for youth in the United States. Undisciplined children are those beyond parental control. Some of these children feel untouchable because their parents have no type of control over them. These are the type of children who are more likely to engage in criminal activities. Other children who would most likely fall into delinquency are dependent children, neglected children and abused children. It is important to keep in mind that children are very vulnerable in every stage of their childhood; there is no such thing as a mature child. Every child needs the love and nurture from a parent because Parents play a big role in a child’s life; they are the key to success for a child’s future. Unfortunately, not every child has both parents to care and provide for them. Are drugs responsible for youth gangs and violent crimes in the United States? Drug abuse is the most common offense amongst juveniles in US society, because of the high rates of drug trafficking in urban cities (Decker, 1999). Are there any other causes besides drugs that contribute to juvenile delinquency? There are many underlying causes that can contribute to youth delinquency. For Example, Loose laws regarding guns, drugs and violence can lead to delinquency. In my research I will compare juvenile delinquency in the city of Lawrence which has a high crime rate with two other areas like Lowell, has similar environmental features to Lawrence. The second area is Methuen, which is a more suburban district but urban at the same time and has different characteristics to Lawrence. Local authorities and kid clubs should invest more time in properly educating the children on dealing with peer pressure, drug and substance abuse, and with how to deal

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Juvenile Incarceration

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge, gaining insight in regards to juvenile incarceration factors.…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Juvenile delinquency has become a very predominant occurrence in today’s society. In 2010, there were 6,531 arrest for every 100,000 youths age 10 to 17(Knoll, C, 2010). While it may be that youth are being processed through the criminal justice system more today than ever, rather than actually committing more forms of crime and delinquency (Puzzanchera, Adams, & Sickmund, 2010). Youth are however experiencing increased participation with the criminal justice system are creating problems for parents, schools, communities, and other children who are in the presence of juvenile delinquents. Two of the biggest aspects influencing juvenile delinquency are the family structure that the child is exposed to and the relationship they have with their…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Juvenile Recidivism

    • 3794 Words
    • 16 Pages

    Martin, M. (2011). Introduction to human services: through the eye of practice settings. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.…

    • 3794 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Crime committed by juveniles is one of the nation’s serious problems. The dramatic rise in juvenile violence began in mid-1980 and peaked in the early 1990s. Juvenile crime is crimes committed before one turns 18. Juveniles need to reach out and get help before it is too late. Parents are supposed to be role models for their children. The way children are brought up has a big influence on their behavior and their lifestyle. When delinquent acts committed are considered crimes, the courts are not looking to punish them, but rather help the individual get rehabilitated before it becomes too late.…

    • 1526 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The word “delinquency” is a strong word and when people hear it they get scared. Juvenile delinquency is occurs when a juvenile’s behavior is in violation of criminal law, juvenile status offenses, and other juvenile misconducts. On the other hand, status offenses are those misconducts committed or engaged by a juvenile and that can be presented in a juvenile court. Status offenses are those offenses illegal for a certain group of people, in this case juvenile’s, and not illegal to others, like adults. For example, the intake of tobacco, alcohol, running away from home, owning a firearm, gambling, etc. are some status offenses.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Juvenile Delinquency

    • 2250 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Juvenile Delinquency is the participation of illegal behavior by a minor who falls under a statutory age limit. A delinquent is a minor who commits a crime or a status offense. A status offense is conduct that is illegal only because the child is under age i.e. smoking cigarettes (Senna 10, 20). The cases of Eric Smith, Lionel Tate, and an unidentified NJ child are similar only because, they are guilty of killing another child, but the Criminal Justice System treated and punished them very differently. In August 1993 in Savona, New York 13 year old Eric Smith killed 4 year old Derrick Robie. Smith lured Robie into the woods and strangled, beat with large rocks, and sodomized Robie. Smith was questioned by police and kept changing some details in his story. This made police believe that he knew more about the case than he was telling them. Smith confessed to his parents ' that he killed Robie. Smiths ' parents took him to the police. They didn 't consult with an attorney. Smith confessed to police that he killed Robie and was charged with second degree murder. The prosecutor didn 't offer Smith any plea deals. Under NY State Law defendants ' that were 13 at the time of the crime can be tried and sentenced as adults '. The prosecutor had the discretion to try Smith as a juvenile, but instead chose to try him as an adult. As a young child Smith displayed anger problems. He would throw tantrums ' and bang his head on the floor. Smith was a firebug and would kill small animals. He would hit his siblings and would punch things to let out his anger. In school Smith had a learning disability, speech problems and was left back. He was bullied a lot and it affected his self esteem. He had a very low self esteem. Smith 's mother while pregnant with him took tridione to control her epileptic seizures. Tridione can cause birth defects and may have caused physical and developmental defects in Eric. Smith 's attorney said he suffered from a mental disease called intermittent…

    • 2250 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Diversion Programs

    • 929 Words
    • 3 Pages

    First of all when talking about juvenile delinquency research has found that no single cause of behavior accounts for all delinquency, however that study is inconclusive since the study has not been confirmed 100%. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is sponsoring the research and is focusing in serious delinquency and drug abuse as those two have been found to be the leading causeways of juvenile criminal behavior. OJJDP has conducted causes and correlation studies designed to improve the understanding of violence and drug abuse, they have looked at how a youth develops within the context of family, school, peers and their respective community. One of the challenges is to determine the longitudinal investigation since some times this juvenile’s turn into what society determines as adulthood, and the investigation is no longer valid. The way they have conducted this searches is by sampling youths in a six to nine months period one example is: Denver youth includes 1,527 youths ages vary from seven to 15, and they all come from different backgrounds but pronominally from “high risk neighborhoods”…

    • 929 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Juvenile Incarceration

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages

    5. What is the education level of the juvenile incarcerated in the state of Alabama?…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Juvenile Justice

    • 3893 Words
    • 16 Pages

    There are many different types of crimes committed by juvenile delinquents in today’s society. These crimes consist of violent crimes, property crimes, forgery, fraud, vandalism as well as many others. In 2009, there were 32,638,900 youths in the United States and 1,906,600 of them were arrested for a type of crime. (Puzzanchera & Adams, 2012). There are many options that the Department of Juvenile Justice System can lead towards such as punishment or treatment, but the rehabilitation depends on the juvenile at hand. Most research suggests there is a reduced recidivism amongst juveniles who receive treatment. Treatment options are the ideal way to deal with juvenile delinquency.…

    • 3893 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Juvenile Delinquency

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages

    According to “Juvenile Delinquency,” under the parens patriae philosophy, minors who engage in extralegal behavior are viewed as victims of improper care, custody and treatment at home (Siegel, Welsh, Senna 16). The concept of parens patriae explains the state’s duty to protect minor children who lack proper care and custody from their parents. The occurrence of minor illegal behavior is a sign that the state should intervene. Before more serious crimes are committed, these youths should be taken care of by the state. The best interest of the minor should be at hand. Instead of being punished for their wrong doing they should be treated and steered in the right direction, away from crime. “Under the parens patriae philosophy, delinquent acts are not considered criminal violations and delinquents are not considered “criminals”.” (Siegel, Welsh, Senna 18)…

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Juvenile Recidivism

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Over the past years, scholars and courts have studied the recidivism of young offenders whom have been convicted as adults. As prosecutions of young offenders continue to increase within the adult court system, many argue whether programs are being used properly to reintroduce repeat offenders back into society. Loughran, put the juvenile process in perspective with his statement, “theoretical intent of broader transfer provisions was clear (sufficient retribution for serious criminal behavior, deterrence through strengthened sanctioning and penalties), there has been only limited definitive empirical evidence regarding the effects of the transfer on the future…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Juvenile Delinquents

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Most states and the federal government have laws that expunge young offender’s criminal records of delinquency when a certain age is reached. The purpose behind most states and the federal government expunging juvenile records is to allow youth who has made bad decisions, and found guilty of their youthful transgressions to enter adulthood without the heavy stigmatic freight of a criminal record (Funk & Polsby, 1997). The fundamental philosophy for juvenile laws is that a juvenile delinquent should be considered and treated not as a criminal, but as a person requiring care, education and protection. Furthermore, in their eyes, juveniles are not thought of as bad people who should be punished, but as a individual who need help (Funk & Polsby,…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Juvenile Delinquents

    • 2717 Words
    • 11 Pages

    S. is concentrated in urban areas. Specifically, while the 20 largest cities in American accounted for approximately one-third of all homicides in 1992, their population represents approximately one-eighth of the nation. Much research in criminology has linked the probability of a child becoming involved in crime with his having grown up in a poor family, and/or in neighborhoods with high crime and poverty rates. Between 1970 and 1990, the number of Americans living in high poverty in American living in high census tract nearly doubled. The growth in the concentration of poverty in America and its potential effects on adolescent crime is of considerable importance since the spatial distribution of poor families is closely related to government decisions regarding how to provide housing services to poor families and pertaining to the construction of public housing contribute to the high rise of juvenile…

    • 2717 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Violence and Drugs Abuse

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There are many challenges that the youth of today’s world are facing. Among these, one of the greatest obstacles is the spread of illegal drugs, and also rapid increases in violence and the creation of gangs. These needless activities cause harm to high schools around the world and to the students who attend them. Peer pressure, the media, and need of independence are just some of the reasons drugs and violence rates have increased over the years.…

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Juvenile Deliquency

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages

    There are many theories in criminology and I will compare and contrast two theories which are choice theory and routine activities theory. Both of these theories have motivated offenders with different intentions in mind. Choice theory is the belief that individuals choose to commit a crime for their own personal satisfaction. According to choice theory, individuals think about the benefit instead of the punishment of the crime. For an example, individuals who engage in dealing drugs are not worried about jail time, they are focused on the outcome such as money, jewelry, and cars. These individuals are motivated by some type of fantasy or the excitement they feel when committing a crime. A lot of these individuals are greedy, selfish, mean, thoughtless, and do not care who they hurt in the process of their deviance behavior. Their main concern is reaping the benefits from their criminal actions. They socialize in normal setting to camouflage any criminal behavior such as going to school or participating in park and recreational activities. By acting normal, this keeps attention away from them. Because the attention is not on them, they feel as if they have accomplished what they set out to do. No jail time and benefits from their criminal behavior are their accomplishments. They are their own victims because they have a choice to stray away from criminal activities. On the other hand, routine activity theory isn't a choice. It is the belief that crime is normal and if an opportunity to commit a crime is available, the individual will do so. In order for a crime to be committed according to routine activity theory, three things must occur. A motivated offender must be present, a suitable target, and the lack of capable guardian has to be present for a crime to be committed according to routine activity theory. A man(motivated offender) holds up a gas station(suitable target) with only a few customers, cashier, and himself (lack of capable…

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics