Essay on Juvenile Delinquency - 1652 Words

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 â€Å"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 ma ny 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 â€Å" 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. â€Å"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 ofShow MoreRelatedJuvenile Delinquency1154 Words   |  5 PagesDiscussion In common parlance, there is an understanding of juvenile delinquency as meaning adolescents breaking the law or participating in mischievous behavior. Defining juveniles as being under the age of 18 years is the general rule of thumb because, in the current legal system, upon reaching this age individuals can be tried as adults, serve in the military, and, in some states, consume alcohol. (Reckless, 1972) One may ask why juvenile delinquency is viewed as a separate construct from adult deviantRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency2109 Words   |  9 PagesJuvenile Delinquency 1 Juvenile Delinquency: Features, Causes and Solutions Shen Cheng Class: 110 Teacher: Stephanie February 29, 2012 Juvenile Delinquency 2 Outline I. Introduction Thesis statement: Nowadays, there is no denying that Juvenile Delinquency has become one of the hottest social issues. The features, causes, and solutions of Juvenile Delinquency will be discussed about in this research. II. The features of Juvenile Delinquency A. The average age of juveniles who commitRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency2343 Words   |  10 PagesOpener: 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 that juvenile delinquency is conclusively related to the family environment. A. Family cohesion B. Increasing numberRead MoreJuvenile Crime And Juvenile Delinquency1322 Words   |  6 PagesVersion). Juvenile crime, in law, term denoting various offense committed by children or youth under the age of 18. U.S. official crime reported that in the mid-1900’s â€Å"about one-fifth of all persons arrested for crimes were under the age of 18† (Funk Wagnalls, 2014). Such acts are sometimes referred to as juvenile delinquency (Funk Wagnalls, 2014. Offering constructive programs reduces juvenile delinquency and reduces recidivism. â€Å"From the beginning, the principal consideration of the juvenile courtsRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency : Adult Delinquency2861 Words   |  12 PagesAlexis Kelly SOC 333 William Franks Spring 2015 Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Programs What is juvenile delinquency? Juvenile delinquency relates to minors who commit law violations. Instead of adults commiting â€Å"crimes’, juveniles are considered to commit â€Å"delinquent acts†. Society sees juvenile delinquents as immature and in need of guidance, which is different to adults, who are seen to be responsible for their crimes. Juvenile delinquency can occur in any community, neighborhood, and schoolsRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency2264 Words   |  10 PagesJuvenile 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 different lyRead MoreJuvenile Crime And Juvenile Delinquency1458 Words   |  6 PagesDay in and day out residents and visitors to the Boston area are affected by juvenile crime and delinquency. Though the crime rates in MA and across the nation are on a steady decline, these juvenile crimes are still considered a serious matter that needs attention. It is thought that juvenile offenders do not cope as well with the criminal justice system as well as adults may be able to and therefore there needs to be a focus on how the system can better aid in the rehabilitation of these youthfulRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Essay1646 Words   |  7 PagesA 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 (JensonRead MoreThe And Prevention Of Juvenile Delinquency970 Words   |  4 PagesJuveniles in the justice system is an issue relevant not only to people in the criminal justice system but to society in general. There have been a number of studies done that link serious behavior problems in children to adult criminal conduct. In more recent years, there has been more research done regarding the causes and prevention of juvenile delinquency. The Department of Juvenile Justice lists 3 broad categories with many subcategories to help us understand what contributes to juvenile delinquencyRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Is A Problem1508 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile Delinquency When looking into the history of United States and elsewhere juvenile delinquency is a problem and has been one for over a century. Like other systems in place, the system involving juvenile delinquents has gone through many stages. In the case of the juvenile delinquency, it has gone through four stages, with us presently in the fourth. The causes behind juvenile delinquency are still unknown even today. Some blame it on the current culture, the over-exposure to violence