There are indication that most criminals have a juvenile records in the US, indicating that crime manifests from a tender age. Therefore, to reverse the incidence of crime, it follows that the best strategy is to reduce the criminal orientation in the juvenile offenders as opposed to hardening them and preparing them for criminal careers. The case of the Crossroads Juvenile Center demonstrates the willingness of the juvenile justice systems to make these changes on the children. References Day, S. (2014). Runaway Man: A Journey Back to Hope.
The state of delinquency among juveniles is a persistent and pervasive American social problem. According to a 1985 study conducted by Hawkins, Juvenile crime represents over 40% of the total arrests for major crimes, including burglary, rape and murder. This rate of juvenile incarceration mirrors that of adult incarceration. This segment of the population which has been ignored by both the written law and society has created great social and economic costs. This pattern of juvenile delinquency and crime must be addressed.
Retrieved from https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/508315/COCE_113782_01_Dec_14.pdf. Cunneen, C., White, R., & Richards, K. (2013). Juvenile justice: youth and crime in australia. Retrieved from EBook Central.
The violent crime rate among juveniles has grown at twice the rate compared to adults in the last two decades (Levitt, 1998). This fact shows that juveniles are constantly being given a slap on the wrist for the crimes adults get sent away for and the violent crime rate would not be inclining at the rate it is if they were processed as adults. Juveniles being processed as adults would decrease the rate due to the deterrence effect. There has been a rise in juvenile arrest rates for violent crimes due to the change in law and policies for juveniles that are less harsh when compared to adults (National Research Council, 2001). Juveniles know that the punishment they will receive for a crime is not harsh which leads them to commit more violent crimes.
It may seem that the juvenile criminal justice system is too lenient, but preventive and rehabilitative approaches can be utilized to minimize juvenile aggressive conduct; they have been proven to be effective through a study executed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Steenson 246). Through this research, it is evident that the measures taken by the juvenile criminal justice system are effective against violent delinquents. The help designated for juveniles is intended specifically for youth. Furthermore, some would argue that there is now a greater probability that juveniles will commit major and fatal crimes. Yes, it is true, but according to scientific studies, punitive methods used in adult court have minimal to no impact on adolescents incarcerated as adults, and the percentage of repeat offenders is higher in several states (Scialabba).
Hence, when recently convicted minors leave jail or prison, they perpetrate more felonies along with misdemeanors. This is a substantial reason for augmenting rates of juvenile convictions. With recent studies taken in 2014 and also 2015 showing that children who are sentenced as adults are up three times more likely to perpetrate a violent crime after setting off from a penal institution. Provided, some kids may not take part in any acts after leaving. All in all, this could be a reverberation of underage kids obtaining negligent role models during
Chapter 1 Definition, Measurements and Process introduces the history of the juvenile justice system and discusses the issues surrounding the transitioning of a child to an adult. The chapter also covers challenges the juvenile system faces, how delinquency and crime are measured based on the Uniform Crime Reports, self-report studies, and victimization surveys. The measure of youths as delinquents and victims is also discussed, as is a typology of juvenile delinquents. In 1899, the first juvenile court was established. Its establishment was solely based on the principle that children develop differently than adults so they therefore need to be treated differently.
In today’s society juvenile crime is an increasing issue in the United States. When speaking on juvenile violence there are many different types of violence like youth violence, school violence, dating violence, gang violence, cyber bullying, and juveniles that kill. GANG VIOLENCE Gang violence statistics indicate that are down slightly from previous years, but continue to rise since the early part of the decade. According to gang violence statistics, about 60,000 gang-related arrests have been made throughout the past ten years. Gang violence statistics reveal that gang violence among teens and adults is still a growing problem with about 7,184 gang-related arrests being made in 2010 alone followed by about 3,176 convictions throughout the
Research dating back to 1966 – with the famous Coleman Report – shows integration into society is the key to better grades and successful education. Poverty is also a huge factor following education in which so much violence happens on a daily basis in Chicago. Not receiving enough education most likely will lead the person into poverty because they are unable to maintain well paying jobs. They then loose the resources needed to provide for their families or themselves and eventually turn into crime to pay for all those expenses. The results of a new study by Mike Males from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco support the argument that teenage poverty, not teenage biology, is most to blame for teenage
United States: Greenhaven Publishing. The book provides various opposing viewpoints regarding the cause of juvenile crime and how the criminal justice system should treat juvenile offenders. Each argument highlights the main risk factors for juvenile crime. For example, gang plays a large part of juvenile violence.
Criminal behaviour has always been an interest for psychologists, for they could never quite come to a conclusion between nature and nurture. Research concerning this topic has been organized for many years and due to the never ending debate, is still being conducted. I have decided to read and write about this myself, for I was genuinely curious about the matter and wanted to be a part of the research, as I felt responsible to do so. I believe that in order to stop something, it must be discussed and scrutinized. What effects do genes have on criminal behaviour, why do peer pressure and habitat influence a person to commit crimes and are men really more violent than women?
Understanding the risk and protective factors of child delinquency is imperative in order to create and implement treatment and intervention programs. Because children’s behavior develops during the first five years, it is important to know what risk and protective factors could increase the likelihood of a child becoming a child offender (Wasserman et al., 2003). Moreover, overcoming the risk factors would help prevent the child offender from becoming a juvenile, and later, adult offender. As Wasserman et al (2003) stated, “risk factors for child delinquency operate in several domains: the individual child, the child’s family, the child’s peer group, the child’s school, the child’s neighborhood, and the media” (pg.1). As one can see, children are exposed to risk in partially every aspect of their lives.
The emphasis of socioeconomic status in capital punishment cases plays a critical role in the evaluation of an inmate’s disposition and the biases that occur from the impacts of wealth. Economic standing impacts an individual to be drawn to or propelled from crime, dependent on the influence from the surrounding community. The initial socioeconomic influence on destitute areas provokes individuals to live a life of crime, which ultimately brings many crimes to be charged with capital punishment convictions. Occupational prestige and education stand amongst several other factors that account into the economic evaluation of death row inmates and the social impact left on an individual. In addition to the initial impact from socioeconomic upbringing, the decision-making in court can result in juror bias against the defendant.
When considering these statistics, which state that Black and Latino teens are more likely to commit juvenile offenses it is important to keep the following in mind: poverty, or low socio-economic status are large predictors of low parental monitoring, harsh parenting, and association with deviant peer groups, all of which are in turn associated with juvenile offending. The majority of adolescents who live in poverty are racial minorities. Also, minorities who offend, even as adolescents, are more likely to be arrested and punished more harshly by the law if caught. Particularly concerning a non-violent crime and when compared to white adolescents. While poor minorities are more likely to commit violent crimes, one third of affluent teens report committing violent crimes.
This essay will discuss crime as both a social problem and a sociological problem. Crime is seen as a typical function of society. Crime doesn’t happen without society. It is created and determined by the surrounding society. According to the CSO, the number of dangerous and negligent acts committed between the years of 2008 and 2012 rose from 238’000 in 2008 to 257’000 in 2012.
