Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Delinquency is the participation of a minor child in illegal behaviors or activities, usually between 10-17. Juvenile delinquency is often used to refer to children who show a recurrent mischievous or disobedient conduct, to be deemed out of parental control, is subject to legal action by the court system.
For Juvenile Delinquency each state has a different legal framework for dealing with juveniles who breach the law. When a child committees a crime, the proceedings taking place vary from an adult offender’s ones. Juvenile detention centers in all states deal exclusively with juveniles underage.
While it is common for state statutes to consider people under the age of 17 to be minors if the crime committed is very serious, the justice system can charge minors even younger than adults.
Causes of Juvenile Delinquency
If delinquency has already been occurred by a child, addressing the issues which lead to delinquency and building protective barriers may allow the child to develop a more good and secure environment and also avoid problems in the future as well as when they are adults.
· Poor School Attendance: It is one of the leading factors which contributes to juvenile delinquency. Children who are not encouraged to learn and follow the routine from getting prepared to go to school to complete their homework’s are losing out of establishing good habits. Also, these children experience free time that can be used instead to learn things which are not meant to enhance their lives or future.
· Poor Educational Standards: The type of school in which a child is studying also plays a very important role in shaping the future of the child. If the child experiences more crowd in the school then children start acting more defensively because they are scared by their surroundings. Also, parental participation in school work and school-related events is a very strong deterrent for delinquent activities.
· Violence in the Home: It is one of the main factors found in children involved in delinquent activities. Teens subjected to violent actions, or those who witness it to others, are more likely to act at their fears and frustrations. They also start possessing a don’t care attitude which can lead their lives into trouble.
· Violence in their Social Circles: It is seen that if the neighborhood in which a child life has a violent environment then the child will tend to be more prone to delinquency.
· Peer Pressure: Similar to neighborhood stresses, peer pressure from direct friends may affect how a juvenile responds to a bad situation. If all of their peers are committing delinquent acts, the child will feel compelled to do the same to be accepted.
· Socioeconomic Factors: Is is seen that Juvenile Delinquency is more common in poorer neighborhoods.
· Lack of moral guidance: A child needs to get moral guidance if parents in a family or adults try to tell the child what is acceptable behavior and what is not when the child is more likely to act in a way that is not delinquent.
Strategies or measures which can be taken to prevent Juvenile delinquency are:-
1. To set boundaries- that when children and teenagers begin to act out, they need to be told that their behavior is unacceptable.
2. Be their support system- to support a child during crucial time is also important.
3. By counseling of parents and their children.
4. By providing them with a good environment and making sure that they are surrounded by good people.
5. By giving children’s good education.
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