Crime And Disorder Act Of 1997 Essay

During the later decades of the 20th century, crime in the United Kingdom began to increase at a rapid pace. Specifically, within the juvenile and young adult age groups. In 1996, 25% of the convictable offenders were under the age of 18, and by 1997, two-thirds of offenders were under age 21 (Rodgers & Sparrow, 1999). The government proposed that there needed to be changes made within the country to make attempts to decrease the crime levels. Therefore, the Crime and Disorder Act of 1997 was passed. The law expanded the parameters for what should be considered illegal in the UK and for whom. It was meant to combat juvenile delinquency in the beginning stages so it is less likely to develop into more serious offenses. The law’s purpose was

Additionally, shifting the focus to prevention rather than practice yielded sustainable long-term solutions to assist in keeping crime at bay. With the new act, it also came with several challenges that still needed time to be addressed. When discussing children that displayed symptoms of antisocial behaviors, the concern was made aware that the process was stigmatizing and overall, ineffective (Rodgers and Sparrow, 1999). In terms of children, it most likely causes more problems. It also can be seen as a struggle to have the youth voluntarily participate. The act further stigmatized the parents when issuing orders to attend counseling sessions. It places the blame on the parent without taking account of the broader influencing factors such as poverty. The supervising agencies also faced restraints when implementing the act’s mandates. The first issue pertained to financial and voluntary resources. The authorities had trouble allocating funding and personnel to allow the programs to come to fruition. Also, the act required mass participation between agencies to achieve the goal, but conflict often arose placing a hinderance on the