Violence and other criminal actions attract the attention of the government and the general public, as they affect the life of the society adversely. Many interventions were made to prevent such behavior among the adult population but recently the number of the youth who experienced arrests increased, which required reconsideration of the issue. Today, it is mainly known as juvenile delinquency, which presupposes criminal actions conducted by the minors who are about 10-19 years old.
Even though the rates of juvenile delinquency do not increase nowadays, they still constitute a great part of all crimes, so it is critical to determine the chronic offenders at an early age to make the life in the community safer, paying attention to the influences from the neighborhood, parents, and peers.
The information about the delinquency can be received from both the official and unofficial sources of data that are reliable and valid. Official information is provided by Governments, and in this case the data obtained by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2016) can be discussed. It is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice and its main primary source of information. The source is valid and reliable because professionals who gather it require accurate data that can be used to make effective and efficient political and economic considerations. Trustworthy data provides an opportunity to implement policies and other interventions to control the country in different spheres.
Unofficial information that deals with delinquency can be gained from the statistics provided by such private organization as the National Center for Juvenile (2016). It has a narrower focus, and professionals who work in the related spheres cooperate to find out how the problem of juvenile delinquency can be solved. Even though the aims of governments and private/public organizations differ, the data provided by them is decent. They take into consideration data provided by police, healthcare organizations, prisons, and the youth. Of course, in some cases, violent actions may be left unnoticed as well as people who conducted them, but general tendencies can be discussed, as they are able to receive the information about all officially investigated cases.
Juvenile delinquency is a critical issue for the US because its rates are rather high during the last twenty years. Almost 2 million individuals who were not even 18 years old got incarcerated in 2009, which account for 15% of all violent crimes and 24% of all property crimes (Ryan, Williams, & Courtney, 2013). Chung and Steinberg (2006) found out that the youth often starts committing crimes under the influence of neighborhood, peer and parenting behavior.
They underlined that as the number of adults who use drugs, violate the law, become imprisoned, and treat children badly increased, the number of incarcerated youth also increased. In order to reduce juvenile delinquency rates and make the life of the population, better Tolan et al. (2013) suggest mentoring for high-risk youth. They offer to take into consideration aggression, substance abuse, and academic functioning.
Many professionals, including Tolan et al. (2013) pay attention to the problem of juvenile delinquency and its prevention, pointing out that it is significant to determine the chronic offender as soon as possible. For example, Kempf-Leonard, Tracy, and Howell (2001) state that interventions made at an early age tend to have more successful outcomes than those made when the person has already committed some crimes and became older. They underline that little children are more amenable so assuming measures in time can prevent criminal behavior. In this way, the number of incarcerated adults will decrease, and the life in the community will become much safer.
Thus, the issue of juvenile delinquency is crucial for the US, and it requires the implementation of effective preventive measures such as policies. To develop them, the data from both official and unofficial sources can be gathered and discussed with the support from peer-reviewed sources, in which professionals discuss the most recent trends in juvenile delinquency.
References
Chung, H., & Steinberg, L. (2006). Relations between neighborhood factors, parenting behaviors, peer deviance, and delinquency among serious juvenile offenders. Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 319-331.
Kempf-Leonard, K., Tracy, P., & Howell, J. (2001). Serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders: The relationship of delinquency career types to adult criminality. Justice Quarterly, 18(3), 449-478.
Ryan,J., Williams, A., & Courtney, M. (2013). Adolescent neglect, juvenile delinquency and the risk of recidivism. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(1), 454465.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2016). About the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Web.
The National Center for Juvenile Justice. (2016). Our history. Web.
Tolan, P., Henry, D., Schoeny, M., Bass, A., Lovegrove, P., & Nichols, E. (2013). Mentoring interventions to affect juvenile delinquency and associated problems: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 10(1), 1-148.
In the evolving set-up that is society, the expectations levied upon the different age groups in the society have also changed. The changes, to a large extent, have affected the teen and the youth who find themselves in the middle of this quagmire. In the end, the values and principles that the previous generations adhered to and even held sacred are shrinking and disappearing in the thick fog that is time. The other factor is that the norms that governed relationships in the different family and societal set-ups such as in the school and the workplace are being challenged (Klein, 1995). The aspects of society that ensured a smooth transition between the age groups and social classes are either deteriorating or changing, peoples lifestyles are becoming more unorthodox and their predictability is waning too. Other aspects that govern the characters of people the society natures are external, inclusive of which is the labor market (Venkatesh, 1997).
The maturity gap in todays young adults has considerably increased due to many factors such as unemployment. All in all, these factors have a great impact on the relationship between family members, they affect ones chances at getting a formal education, ones participation in both the job and labor market, and their general lifestyles. These problems are not only concentrated in the developed nations, rather, but they are also an issue even in the developing countries. Developing countries, in themself, exert pressure on the young adults in their transition to independence. Factors that affect their economies such as an ever-expanding population, poor or inadequate housing, biting poverty, lack of formal reliable employment, overpopulation in the urban areas, the collapse of the general family structure, and poor quality of education being offered with overstretched facilities are the major issues the youth have to grapple with, these end up defining their characters and personalities in the long run (Dzikus, 1996).
Irrespective of which sex the youth may be, todays world exposes him to many opportunities; some good and others detrimental. More often than not, society in general has its own perceptions about the youth in general, and as such it takes advantage of the whole scenario when the youth breaks the law through some act such as drug addiction and taking part in violent crime such as fighting, stealing. Nobody takes time to find out what the course of the whole problem may, they are blamed squarely when their character is a summation of what they have gone through in life, what experiences their life stories tell and their history. The result of these actions is mainly the society normally pulls away from such characters, victimizes them and segregates against them. These people are often marked by society and are often suspects wherever they go, giving them very few opportunities to interact and maybe change their characters for the better.
Assumptions surrounding Juvenile delinquency
Assumptions abound as to the definitions and cases of delinquency, with the general public broadly classified according to their perceptions and views on the topic. They mostly look it from one perspective, of the youth being the crook. To the different people in the society, juvenile delinquency has different meanings because each of these classes of people holds a different idea about it. Emiralt et-al in his book claims that criminals understand delinquency as petty crime committed by young offenders between the ages of twelve and twenty years (2010). Sociologists, however have a different perspective that is somehow deeper regarding the topic. They combine the whole point of these classes of people to conclude that juvenile delinquents are sometimes negated and overlooked as possible victims of these acts. This takes a big toll on their social life. They attribute delinquency to a poor upbringing and other environmental factors.
Sociologists point out that signs of delinquency may be detected at a tender age in a childs life, and that delinquency is the summation of what has transpired in the characters life. As such they attribute these to several factors; hard and difficult infantry, alcoholic parents, family breakdowns, too much crowding, an abusive up bringing at home, HIV/ AIDs. Other causes may be parental loss due to death of one or both parents as a result of family differences, orphans who lack means of sustenance. This situation makes it open that lack of these and other basic needs in life such as shelter are a sure path for a child to sink into delinquency. The following theories, presented by several authors try to explain the causes to some of these characters and their possible solutions in real life scenarios. Other assumptions made about this topic are that juveniles operate in groups, even if it is a single individual in question. There is a tendency to somehow link him to some group of sorts. It is also assumed that the juveniles are of a given age bracket, and as such.
The causes of juvenile delinquency
There are many causes of juvenile delinquency. These causes are widespread in terms of the aspects of life of the characters involved. Some of the factors that may push one towards delinquency are: Economic and social factors; It is associated the negativity resulting from the social and economic structures of a given society. These are often beyond what any single individual could control such as political instability, economic down turns and the breakdown of major institutions such as the state and major educational centers. Continued unemployment and limited chances to formal degenerates into economic instability, since the young would want to survive whichever way salvation comes.
Cultural factors also play a big role in the mayhem that is juvenile delinquency. Culture sets out the norms that are to be adhered to in a given society, the limits for acceptable behavior. When the need to operate within these set rules is overlooked by certain characters, it is viewed as rebellion. They often engage in deviant and even criminal acts. This mostly occurs in societies where the local culture is undergoing tremendous change such as modernity. The loopholes allow for juvenile operatives in the many forms they occur. Other causes are urbanization, the family unit is also a factor when it is not closely knit and the parents do not lead by example. The media has also played a great role and so has migration of people and peer influence.
Population heterogeneity and state dependent theories
Population heterogeneity is a theory that tries to explain the consistency of some elements in the society to always be in a particular kind of issue against the law. Population heterogeneity gives credence to this fact, claiming that the reason for this chronic situation is the difference in anti-social characteristics among people; these traits are imparted in the people at tender ages and stabilized with time. The theory goes further to claim that these people may suppress the character inside them, but they resurface after sometime.
Population heterogeneity can controlled through collective efforts. Bailey established that cultural homogeneity helps establish cultural consensus, and such these traits are suppressed. In the end, there are very few characters and cases of this nature resulting to very low crime rates or juvenile cases in the given regions.
State dependence on the other hand is a complete contrast to population heterogeneity. It attributes the tranquility in a given society to a process of being in contact to the alleged criminals. It asserts that delinquency, if left to flourish would erode the boundaries and strengthen peoples resolutions to be delinquents. This would imply that delinquency would be adapted later on in life as compared to population heterogeneity where the individual grows up adapting the lifestyles.
Self control theory
This theory suggests that the main causal agent for delinquency can be attributed to the weak societal bonds between the individuals in question and the society in general. Hirschi further suggests that in contrast to this, strong bonds among the members of a given society make it hard for any of their members to
be errant and deviate from the norms governing their institutions. This theory sets out to question why individuals particularly avoid acting contrary to the norms that are set aside by the society. This makes it hard to deviate hence control. Lack of this control would then mean that criminalist behavior or juvenile cases would be on the increase. The theorists behind the hypotheses had observed that when the norms in the society merged and there was kind of a uniform code of behavior in a given society, the loopholes to defy these norms are greatly reduced.
According to Hischi, people would conform to a group when they believe they will have more to gain by conformity rather than by deviance (Tolman, 2001). Strong bonds result in few if any chances to defy while weak bonds result to a high rate of juvenile delinquency.
He further alludes that strong bonds are made up four major colluding factors; conviction, attachment participation and obligation. Lack of any one of these factors leads to there being a void in society and such creates a leeway to deviance. In summation, this theory states that acts of force and fraud are undertaken in the pursuit of self interest and control, therefore criminality is based on a criminals own control of himself (Wolfgang, 1987).
Age graded theory
State dependent theory on the other hand suggests that the connection between delinquency at a young age and the eventual behavior of a grown man after years of delinquency is not purely as a result of individual characters. Other factors also affect this; social factors may cause one to change while others remain the same throughout their lifetime. This theory is made of three major features; the micro level structural context, in which a poor family and school set up which contribute to the overall degree of delinquency.
The other feature is the progression of antisocial behavior from infantry to adulthood through the various life stages an individual passes. The third feature to this theory is that the unofficial bonds in the family and ones relationship during employment upon attainment of adulthood reflect the changes in delinquency in the lifespan of the individuals character, these changes tend to be positive despite their being delinquency at his earlier stages in life (Machel, 1996). This explains a persons desistance in a given relationship, whether romantic or job related (Gilmore, 1990).
Case studies on two adults with different social behaviors
Two cases abound of two individuals raised from two distinct families. Mathew is a very humble person who always seems to understand everybody, is accommodative and is at peace with himself. He comes from a Christian background, his parents have always showed him love and affection, his upbringing was characterized by a mum and a dad who were always there for them.
They could go to church quite often and whenever they made a mistake they were always corrected by their parents without being shouted or scolded at. Their home was characterized by happy faces whenever any of them excelled in anything either academically or in sports, he was always applauded and encouraged to continue with the struggle. Mathews brother is an accomplished actor who has featured in big budget Hollywood movies, and he attributes his success to the nurturing his parents gave him (Koss, 1994). In one of the interviews, he recalled at one time when he had not done his homework and his mother was mad at him. He says the mother did shout, but her demeanor changed and all he could feel was guilt.
Though his mother forgave him, he says living with the guilt before he apologized and later did the assignment was the worst punishment he had ever been under. He says his parents were strict about the rules in the house while they were young and somehow it was hard for them because then their perceptions were that hanging out with a certain clique of boys in the neighborhood is cool, smoking weed and marijuana would be a good idea to wind up the day and so on. But their parents often took time to teach them about the dangers of adapting anything that society brings your way, they talked them off their ideas about hanging out and chilling out with a group of boys in the hood (Goodman, 1993). They ended up incorporating the parents counsel, and they were as successful as they were in their respective fields.
This is one aspect of life where both parents have struggled to bring up their children within a certain class of customs and rules. The children learn that that is the way to lead their lives, and the resultant norms and characters they exhibit are at par to what they were brought up in. This is probably what they will pass across to their off springs in the years ahead of them.
The other character, Timothy is one person nobody wants to associate with. His history is marred by a series of escapades from jail and near death adventures with the police. He lives with his grandmother, the parents were alcoholics and they fell apart immediately after Timothy was born. Timothy was taken by the mother who lived with him in the shanties and plied the streets by the night as a prostitute. He harbors vivid images of her mother having sex at his side by the bed side for the money, only for the men she slept with to refuse to pay her (Koss, 1994). An argument would ensure and the men would end up beating her mother, sometimes wounding to the extent of her getting admission into a health facility.
The mother, in most cases ran away from the hospital without clearing her bills and medication because she could not fathom lying there while her son is sleeping in the cold alone and hungry. This resulted to timothy growing up with a negative perception towards life and hated anybody who claims he had it smooth through life. The bare marks he received as a result of the street fights to him are a reminder of where he comes from. He finds it so hard to live a life outside the traditional street fights that sometimes involve the street gangs chasing each other with guns to death. These two cases would only strengthen the theory of age graded, that these two individuals lived to be exposed to different environments while they were growing, these environments molded their characters. Mathews environment could hardly accommodate the trappings of Timothys lifestyle, hence the two distinct characters.
References
Amirault, J. and Lussier, P., 2010-11-17 Population Heterogeneity and State Dependent Models: Implications for Actuarial Prediction of Reoffending in Sexual Offenders Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ASC Annual Meeting, San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco, California . 2011. Web.
Dzikus, A., & Ochola, L. (1996). Street children in sub-Saharan Africa: Kenyas experience , Journal of Habitat Debate, 2 (2), 12-14.
Gilmore, D. (1990). Manhood in the Making: Cultural Concepts of Masculinity. London: Yale University Press.
Goodman, L.A. (1993). Male violence against women , Journal of American Psychologist, 48 (10), 1,054-1,058.
Klein, M. (1995). The American Street Gang: Its Nature, Prevalence, and Control. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Koss, M.P. (1994). No Safe Haven: Male Violence Against Women at Home, at Work and in the Community. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Machel, G. (1996). Impact of armed conflict on children: report of the expert of the Secretary-General. Time, 4, 5-6.
Tolman, J., Pittman, K., & Cervone, B. (2001). Youth Acts, Community Impacts: Stories of Youth Engagement with Real Impacts, Community and Youth Development Series. Journal of Community and Youths, 5 (2), 7-9.
Wolfgang, M.E., Thornberry, T.P., & Figlio, R.M. (1987). From Boy to Man, from Delinquency to Crime. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Venkatesh, S. (1997). The social organization of street gang activity in an urban ghetto , American Journal of Sociology, 103 (7), 82-111.
Delinquency is a form of behavior which is more prevalent in adolescents than adults. In youths and children, the trajectory tends to lean towards criminal and delinquent actions rather than arbitrary engagement. In light of this development, an effective intervention program that prevents the aberrant conduct and supports the maturity of youth character is important. Though deterrence, punishment and retribution, and isolation as well as control programs are widely used to deter delinquency; they do not excite the public in their pursuit to rehabilitate the offenders. Rehabilitation and reintegration work successfully. It is made up of programs and ideals which are effective in treatment of the offender, reintegrating them in the society and limiting them from committing similar offenses.
Rehabilitation and reintegration
Rehabilitation and reintegration is a tested and proven program in addressing delinquency. Bradshaw and Rosenborough (2005) illustrate that rehabilitative treatment is widely used in reaction to criminal offenses. Rehabilitation attempts are geared towards programming or treatment aimed at limiting offenders from committing a similar offense. It achieves this through offering intervention programs such as training, probation supervision, behavior therapy cognitive skills, training and work readiness. These intervention strategies help change the offenders behavior and shrink the frequency of offenses, making them lead a better criminal-free life in the society.
Being a tested program, rehabilitation and reintegration enable the delinquents re-integrate into the conventional society (Vasquez, 2000). It establishes an avenue for a healthy living in the community for the offender because it encompasses medical and social therapies which assist the offender reintegrate once they are released from the juvenile justice system. Siegel and Welsh (2014) assert that the rehabilitation and reintegration program is ideal. It does not focus on punishment, unlike other models such as retribution as deterrent for delinquency. Similarly, other preventive programs give priority in deterring the juveniles engaging in delinquency and violent behavior before they happen.
The pragmatic nature of rehabilitation program makes it effective as an intervention program for delinquency. Rehabilitation deals with the personal needs of the delinquent. It provides delinquents with pragmatic options to make in the community. The delinquent makes these options without recidivating. Vasquez (2000) argues that the rehabilitation is critical as a prevention program because at every stage of the program, a person is taught how to attain certain goals and the means of accomplishing them legitimately.
The rehabilitation programs are funded right from the local, State and the Federal level. The fact that rehabilitation program is costly; most of the intervention programs implemented are realistic. They teach the juveniles how to succeed in the society after being rehabilitated. The objective of changing the minds of the juveniles is to make them reintegrated freely in the community besides saving huge amount of money by the government.
Unlike other preventive programs, rehabilitation and reintegration is a secondary crime prevention program (Coie and Miller-Johnson, 2001). Thus, rehabilitation and reintegration programs can be tailored to be within, or as a component of probation: criminal justice sanction or incarceration.
In conclusion, though most prevention programs are aimed at deterring delinquency behavior, rehabilitation and reintegration is the most suitable program. Rehabilitation and reintegration approach is pragmatic, tested and sponsored by the government. The program prepares the juveniles by equipping them with skills such as training, behavior therapy cognitive skills, training and work readiness which makes them to be responsible members of the society (Siegel and Welsh, 2014).
References
Bradshaw, W., & Rosenborough, D. (2005). Restorative Justice Dialogue: The Impact of Mediation and Conferencing on Juvenile Recidivism. Federal Probation, 69 (2), 15-21.
Coie, J.D., & Miller-Johnson, S. (2001). Peer factors and interventions. In Child Delinquents: Development, Intervention, and Service Needs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
It is important to understand that the primary goal of day treatment reporting programs is to provide to support to a juvenile offender after an adjudication to ensure that behavior is corrected, and similar issues will not occur in the future. Moreover, it is paramount to note that legal systems have been looking for various ways to use such initiatives because they are viewed as incredibly efficient.
One of the core aspects that should not be disregarded is that such programs may be used as a particular assessment tool that would help to identify needs of a juvenile, and this approach may lead to numerous discussions. The issue is that it may be viewed as a particular form of punishment before a due process. However, the need to review strengths and weaknesses of this approach should not be disregarded. The biggest benefit of such initiatives is that they have access to enormous amounts of resources, and trained professionals would be capable of providing juveniles with services of highest possible quality. Moreover, the assessment would be reasonable and adequate. The problem is that an enormous percentage of young offenders that are forwarded to such centers are mentally ill, and they require a unique treatment. The age of a person is also vital most of the time and affects the decision-making process in such situations. Furthermore, other types of punishment may not be viewed as reasonable.
Another aspect that is worth noting is that this approach would help to ensure that individuals are provided with help much earlier, and prompt treatment may be vital in some cases. It is imperative to understand that the identification of factors related to predisposition is critical most of the time, and would help to ensure that issues that a juvenile has to deal with are addressed. Moreover, a day treatment center may be viewed as a primary sanction against juveniles that are not violent (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). Moreover, it is imperative to understand that many young offenders are punished only with a verbal warning because they are not dangerous, and their offenses are relatively minor. On the other hand, some vital information may be obtained during such assessments, and it can be viewed as a particular contradiction. Also, it is necessary to understand that the difference between juvenile and adult legal systems is significant, and a young individual may not have an understanding of his or her rights. It is imperative to mention that preventive aspect needs to be taken into account, and a group theory that is common in such centers may be incredibly useful in some situations (Shoemaker, 2013). However, the problem that is currently present is that a consensus on particular aspects of risk assessment has not been reached, and it may be viewed as a complication most of the time, and it may be hard to justify the use of day care centers as a measurement tool.
In conclusion, it is important to note that it is not likely that this approach would punish juveniles before the due process because such programs do not have the same power as law institutions. Moreover, it is entirely possible that every case needs to be reviewed individually to ensure that rights of an individual are not broken. Overall, particular modifications to the current systems may be required if it is necessary.
References
Shoemaker, D. J. (2013). Juvenile delinquency. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. C. (2014). Juvenile delinquency: theory, practice, and law (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Before the industrial revolution, juvenile offenders were treated in the same fashion as adult criminals. Children who had committed offenses would be locked up with adults and would be expected to carry out punishments akin to those of their grown-up equivalents. Children who were guilty of certain offenses were even exposed to capital punishment. According to Geisser (2015), some young people who were considered rowdy or belligerent were deported to orphanages, training schools, and workhouses along with any abandoned children. The systems, which had been put in place to control delinquent juveniles, were at times harsh and exploitative. The delinquents would be compelled to labor for a long period under dreadful circumstances where they were deprived of payment. Rather than rehabilitating the children, the programs functioned to exploit them.
At the onset of the industrial revolution, public awareness concerning the fair and ethical treatment of children in workplaces emerged. Large numbers of people became apprehensive about extreme child labor where children would be constrained to work for long hours in factories without suitable compensation. Gradually, various interest groups managed to lobby for the introduction of child labor laws and other programs that were aimed at reversing the prevailing tendencies of child exploitation (Geisser, 2015). Later, the laws paved way for reforms in the way children were handled in the juvenile justice systems. Some of the key personalities who participated in pushing for separate juvenile justice systems include Jane Adams and Julia Lathrop. The National Council of Mothers likewise played a vital role in favor of minors (Geisser, 2015).
While many people were supportive of these initiatives to separate juvenile justice systems from the adult systems, others saw it as a reaction to the amplified delinquency instigated by the Industrial Revolution. Children whose parents were working in the factories were often left unattended and hence vulnerable to delinquency. Other children as young as three years were tasked with domestic labors or family businesses. Besides, other children, especially those above seven years, were sent away to become apprentices in the homes and farms of unrelated masters since their parents were busy working. According to Musick (1995), the masters maltreated a good number of such children. Some of them were even sexually desecrated. Apprenticeship involved precarious labor on massive tracts of land. Some parents sent their children to schools where they could acquire formal education.
The industrial revolution saw a population influx to urban areas, especially large cities. In these environments, children were frequently left unsupervised. However, the same industrial revolution also necessitated the demand for skilled and unskilled labor. Therefore, the solution for unruly juveniles was to send them to the factories or the farms. As industrialization continued to grow, technological advancement was also witnessed. More industries needed less skilled labor and more technical expertise that was mostly beyond the parameters of youths. The technical expertise needed by the growing industries included knowledge to operate intricate machines and technological devices. Competent and better-trained adult workers then supplanted the youthful hands. The law expanded to safeguard children from exploitative employers and negligent families. The government took control over various matters that affected children such as education and health.
Lack of Parental Guidance on Technology and Juvenile Delinquency
After the industrial revolution, there was a rapid rise in the development and use of technology. Technological advancement opened up new avenues for minors to engage in criminal activities. Minors became vulnerable to delinquency in ways that had not even been fathomed before. This risk was particularly high among children and adolescents who are left unsupervised. Such juveniles spent long hours in contact with technological devices such as video games, mobile phones, computers, and television among others. Although technology is useful and convenient for children even today, it becomes a problem when there is a lack of parental guidance and supervision on how they should interact with it. The typical parent spends long hours in the workplace earning a living. Hence, children, specifical adolescents, are left to maneuver on their own. Hence, they are often in contact with unrestricted technology and technological devices.
Through mass media such as television and communication devices such as mobile phones, adolescents are exposed to sensitive materials. The makers of television, movies, and internet content are more concerned with profits than the quality and impact of the content. Movies, video games, and internet content may have negative effects on children. These effects include exposure to violence, obscene language, or filthy acts. Once children have been exposed to this kind of content, it may damage them for life. According to Boyd (2015), young children are exposed to television programs that depict murder, fights, and rape without the attendance of a grown-up to tell them that the actual life should not be based on the movie depictions or the television programs. Therefore, teenagers grow with a distorted image of society and/or how things work in life. This situation leads to them being wayward shortly.
Parents seem to take two approaches in supervising and guiding their children where technology is concerned. The first approach is where they are extremely strict or authoritative. They deny their children access to technology such as television, mobile phones, and video games without a discussion on the reason behind their stance. The children feel unfairly treated. Hence, they become rebellious, which causes them to be delinquent. Children from these families engage in other dangerous activities such as drug abuse and unsafe sexual practices. The other kind of parents is excessively liberal with their childrens use of technology. This practice is particularly rampant among rich families where children are used to parents fulfilling their every wish (Hatch, 1999). Children who are accustomed to having their way can cultivate a sense of entitlement where they become disobedient to any attempts of supervision or control. Due to their lavish lifestyle, they are easily able to access drugs and other harmful substances. Therefore, parents need to strike a balance between the right amount of strictness and liberty to protect their children from delinquency.
With modern progress in communication technology, most people have become more reliant on technological means of communication, as opposed to old-fashioned face-to-face talk. Most parents are often away on important business trips or working. They create limited opportunities for communicating with their children. For instance, they communicate through the phone or email. The conversations lack a personal touch. Hence, parents may not understand exactly what their children are experiencing. The role of supervising and guiding children is left to other children, grandparents, or hired workers. Other times, parents have no idea of how a certain technology works. Some parents are not as conversant with technology as their children are. It becomes impossible for the parent to supervise and guide the child while he or she (parent) has no idea of the required expertise (Hatch, 1999). Parents need to make conscious efforts to familiarize themselves with the technology that their children are exposed to such that they can guide them accordingly.
Social Media and Juvenile Delinquency
Social networking and social media play a key role in modern human interactions. Social media refers to the internet medium, which allows people to generate and exchange content. Social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and Skype offer communication platforms, as well as chances to connect with friends, family, and peers regularly. According to Hatch (1999), 25% of adolescents access their favorite social websites a minimum of 10 times a day. While three-quarters of the teenage population own cell phones, at least half of that number uses the gadgets for social media (Hatch, 1999). Others utilize them for messaging and texting. Because of their restricted capacity to regulate themselves, adolescents and teenagers are at a massive risk since they experiment and traverse social media. Hatch (1999) confirms the rising trend of exporting offline behavior to online forums. Cases of harassment and bullying have become rampant on social media. Cyberbullying means the deliberate use of online platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to spread false or malicious information about a person. Juvenile delinquency over social media starts with the victims access to the platforms. Once teens and adolescents access social media platforms, they are vulnerable to peer pressure and influence from the content on such platforms (OKeeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Juveniles can effortlessly view dubious materials that are accessible on social media. They can similarly espouse these questionable practices in their conduct. Although surfing seems harmless, it can expose juveniles to violent online content. Prolonged access to aggressive content can have devastating effects on the conduct of juveniles by encouraging them to adopt such actions into their conduct.
In addition to accessing violent content on social media, young people have adopted practices such as sexting over social media. Sexting involves teenagers exchanging nude pictures and sensual messages online. The teenagers view these exchanges as harmless. However, this perception is not the case since such exchanges are against child pornography laws. The laws are lenient to first-time-offender teens who are caught transmitting nude pictures over the internet. However, the law becomes stricter for second and third-time offenders. Such exchanges of explicit pictures may appear innocuous and childish. The images have the potential of leaking to other online users. A more serious offense occurs when teenagers expose nude pictures of other teenagers around them. This situation chiefly happens in the setting of teenage relationships. Upon the disintegration of the relationship, a teenager may release nude pictures of the other party to social websites for the whole world to see. This move is mostly taken as revenge . To limit this offense, several laws have been passed criminalizing the transmission of child pornography, including nude pictures of teenagers. What remains is stricter enforcement of the laws.
The widespread use of personal computers and mobile phones to access technology has presented overwhelming challenges to parents. The internet can hold voluminous amounts of content and facts, which keep on changing. Many children are more versed with the internet and computer technology than their parents. The children frequently defeat any efforts by their parents to filter or block disagreeable content. However, parents can employ several strategies to protect their children from objectionable social media content. First, they can restrict the use of personal computers and then place household computers in common access locations. This way, children will be deterred by the fear of being discovered from accessing questionable content (Siegel & Welsh, 2013). Likewise, they can use software that regulates and blocks access to websites that contain sexual or violent content. Parents can also track their childrens activities on the internet while limiting their childrens access to social media platforms.
Cyber-crimes and Juvenile Delinquency
Cyber crimes refer to illegal activities that require the use of a computer. These crimes range from hacking, swatting, piracy, and digital trespassing. Peer pressure and the anonymity availed by a computer screen are the main factors that push adolescents and juveniles to commit cyber crimes. The offenses seem harmless to children who are used to a misleading view of the world because of television and video games. Swatting comprises online pranks and threats. Sometimes teenagers in search of thrill or fun call in serious crimes on unsuspecting people to unleash a swat team on them. These teenagers use several techniques to make it appear as though the call originated from the victims residence (IRMA, 2011). The prank calls report serious crimes such as hostage situations and robberies to attract the attention of the authorities.
Hacking refers to the modification of software or hardware to allow illegal access to a computer. Most juveniles engage in hacking as a source of thrill or fun without giving any thought to its consequences. Hacking can lead to loss of data, loss of finances, or identity theft. This crime has gained popularity in recent years. One of the reasons that have been given to explain hacking is the easy access to computers and the internet. Presently, more than thirty-five percent of juveniles have access to a computer. Apart from being readily available, computer technology has become ridiculously affordable. The cost of acquiring a computer has seen a ninety-percent descent over the past ten years (Siegel & Welsh, 2013). The increase in hacking activities by teenagers and juveniles has caused a shift of attention to juveniles hacking capabilities. A group of teens recently hacked into Sony Play Stations database and compromised private client data. Another group operating under the pseudo-name Anonymous attacked federal agencies and banks where it exposed sensitive documents being exposed.
Most juveniles do not consider digital piracy a crime. Digital piracy refers to unauthorized duplication, sharing, or downloading of content using computers. Downloading or duplicating content such as digital music, movies, and software is not considered theft. The juveniles who partake in these piracy activities do not believe them to be morally wrong (Sundaram & Umarhathab, 2011). Traditionally, theft was defined as illegally appropriating property without the owners accord with the intent to deny the said owner of the use of the property. Juveniles have a hard time understanding the fact that they equally deprive the owner of property use, for instance, when they illegally download a song or steal a DVD in the store. Peer pressure from other delinquent youths has been said to increase the likelihood of juveniles committing the offense of digital piracy. Male teenagers have favorable attitudes towards pirating music and movies.
The cyber crimes discussed above can be categorized as digital trespassing. To limit or control digital trespassing by juveniles, the government needs to enact specific legislation that targets specific crimes. Apart from financial loss and threats to sensitive information, digital trespassing can lead to serious consequences such as victimizing teenagers. Nude pictures or other embarrassing information about a specific person may find its way to the internet. If this person happens to be a teenager, the results could be shattering. Such an experience may cause irreparable trauma and depression for the affected party. Teenagers who are found guilty of digital trespass are prosecuted under the same laws, in which terrorists who hack into government systems to wreak havoc are prosecuted. This approach is even though most teenagers undertake digital trespass as a way of proving to themselves and others that they have the skills to do it.
Negative Media Influence and Delinquency (Music and Television)
Music affects peoples attitudes, conduct, tempers, and sentimentalities. Music has a more profound hold on teenagers and juveniles. A survey conducted among teenagers aged 14 to 16 years found that they spend an average of 40 hours a week listening to music (Hatch, 1999). A typical teenager will listen to 1500 rock songs before reaching the 12th grade (Hatch, 1999). Attention has not been given to the correlation between violent music lyrics and aggressive or violent behavior. Although formal studies have not been done to confirm the claim, juveniles who listen to heavy metal music may be more inclined to participate in violent or aggressive activities. Despite numerous legislations forbidding it, it is astonishing how modern music glorifies acts of violence. Musical lyrics have continually become explicit, especially on abuse of drugs, sexual depravity, and violence against women. These explicit lyrics are chiefly found in the hip-hop music category (Signorielli, 2005). The fact that music and lyrics may ultimately affect the behavior and temperaments of teenagers must not be ignored. The music industry should limit the glorification of filthy musical content that seems to encourage teens into delinquent actions.
Children begin watching television at very tender ages, sometimes as young as six months. By the time they get to two or three years of age, they have become regular viewers. A study by Signorielli (2005) showed a resolute correlation between televised violence and violent actions committed by teenagers and juveniles. The study conclusively shows that televised violence has definite negative effects on human temperament and personality. Televised violence not only encourages violent behavior but also sways moral ideals about violence (Signorielli, 2005). Children who interact with large amounts of violent content on television have a greater likelihood of exhibiting violent demeanor. The effects of televised violence cut across all ages, levels of intellect, socio-economic heights, and both genders. Viewers who watch significant amounts of televised violence have a distorted perception of the world. They perceive a nastier world while overrating the prospect of being victims of violence. Some researchers have concluded that televised violence can be addictive to children and adolescents (Signorielli, 2005). Most content creators and supposed regulators such as attendants at movie theatres are more concerned with making profits than protecting teenagers and youngsters against dangerous content. It is not a wonder to see teenagers being allowed into X-rated movies because the attendants do not care. Due to these factors, more people have continually become concerned that televised violence is becoming a national health problem. There have been campaigns to advocate measures to mitigate the effects of televised violence. Such measures can include stricter laws on the rating of content and national education programs on media.
Reference List
Boyd, D. (2015). Its Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. New York, NY: Yale University Press.
At the beginning of the narrative, the authors indicate that a decade ago, the city had been designated an all American City, but more recently, its normally tranquil environment has been disturbed by an increasing number of assaults and homicides. The authors also indicate that the violent incidents have involved students at the university. This passage gives a solid background of the gunman incident. From the passage, it can be deduced that the city in which the incident occurred was initially peaceful and that a majority of the inhabitants were Americans. The passage also highlights the fact that the current assaults and homicides are common in public universities in that particular city. This gives the reader a clear picture of the episodes that occurred.
The authors also give a detailed analysis of the gunman. In the passage, the authors highlight that the gunman, aged 43 years, was a graduate student studying actuarial science at the postgraduate level. The authors also highlight that the incident occurred on a school day, Monday, just a few minutes before the commencement of lectures on that particular day. The gunman was heavily armed. He had a vintage Korean War Military semi automatic rifle loaded with a thirty round clip of thirty caliber ammunition. On top of that, the authors highlight that the gunman had an extra thirty round clip in his pocket. At the time of the incident, according to the authors of the article, twenty students out of a total of thirty had arrived for the lecture. Their lecturer was on the way to the lecture room when the incident occurred. This passage has vital information regarding the incident. First, the reader can tell that the gunman was a postgraduate student aged 43 years. The age and level of study of the actuarial science student who had turned into a gunman are extremely essential in this context. Analysts of offenders use demographic information such as age and educational level of criminals to assess the motive behind crime. At the age of 43, the gunman is probably married. Generally, there are various reasons which force people to engage in criminal behavior. In an attempt to explain why people engage in criminal behavior, social control theorists argue that people obey the law because behavior and passions are controlled by internal and external processes. Proper socialization enables people to develop a strong moral sense, which prevents them from hurting others and violating social norms. They develop a commitment to social conformity, which requires that they observe the norms of the society. Properly socialized people are cautious not to engage in crime activity because they fear hurting their loved ones or tainting their images. In other words, according to (Siegel, 2011), peoples behavior, including criminal activity, depends on their association with conventional institutions, individuals, and processes.
On the contrary, social control theorists argue that individuals who are not properly socialized, who lack a commitment to themselves and others, are free to violate the law and engage in deviant behavior (Siegel, 2011). Such individuals hold the opinion that they have nothing to lose even if they engage in crime. Thus, to prevent delinquency, juveniles must be properly socialized; they must develop a strong moral bond to the society. The units of social control most influential in the establishment of the bond are the family, school, and the law (Brenda & Robert, 2010).
Looking at the explanations presented by social control theorists, it is evident that socialization significantly influences and individuals behavior. In this case, socialization assists people to bond, and in the process they end up avoiding criminal behavior. However, it should be noted that individuals who engage in criminal behavior also socialize, but in this case, with the wrong people. The underlying principle with regard to this theory is that socialization influences the ability of an individual to engage or not to engage in criminal behavior. The aforementioned passage outlines several critical facts that are essential in the description of how and when the incident occurred and an explanation of the aftermath of the incident.
In addition, the authors highlight the aftermath of the incident. They report that campus police were the first to arrive at the site of crime after receiving a distress call. Campus police arrived at the scene of crime within three minutes from the time they received a distress call. Thereafter, the gunman, who had managed to escape, was captured by police in less than an hour. This passage indicates that campus police are extremely alert and swift and that they took control of the situation within the shortest time possible.
The authors also highlight that the Police Chief and the Vice Chancellor of Students Affairs described the incident at a press conference. The authors also indicate that the Students Affairs office contacted the Student Health and Employee Assistance Program counselors and instructed them to be available for any student or staff requesting assistance. According to the narration by the authors, the turn up for the counseling sessions set up by the Student Health and Employee Assistance Program was extremely low. Only one student booked an appointment with the counselors. From this passage, it can be deduced that whereas the university has a well established students and staff counseling program, students and staff are not utilizing the facility as expected. Even though a good number of students and staff were disturbed by the incident, they did not go for counseling. Furthermore, the authors highlight that some of the staff had encountered traumatic episodes owing to other traumatic events that occurred in the university in the past. This indicates that traumatic incidents are common in the university. This statement marries with the earlier statement in which the authors had indicated that incidences of homicide and assaults are on the increase in the city in which the university is located. In addition, these incidences are common in large public universities. These passages help to define the context within which the incident occurred.
Moreover, Creswell (2011) argues that qualitative data analysis consists of describing information and developing themes. According to Creswell (2011), the process of qualitative data analysis is exceptionally essential during the research process and it relies on proper data collection. During data collection, researchers are tasked with a huge responsibility of segregating useful data from irrelevant data. Creswell (2011) recommends that researchers should take decisive measures to eliminate errors associated with sampling and data collection. This can only be achieved by choosing appropriate data collection tools (Creswell, 2011). The final results of any research process rely heavily on the data collected. It is extremely important to gather all the useful information required to make generalized conclusions about the study at hand.
References
Brenda, B., and Robert, V. (2010). A Primer on Crime and Delinquency Theory. Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Cresewell, J. (2011). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. New York: Pearson.
Siegel, L. (2011). Criminology. Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Juveniles should be treated differently than adults by the criminal justice system for a variety of reasons. First, children are generally considered unable to make sound decisions and realize the consequences of their actions. Children cannot make all the decisions for themselves, which is confirmed by law. If children are treated as adults by the criminal justice system, it would be inconsistent with law. Second, children are weak, both mentally and physically. If they are treated as adults, they are to be incarcerated with adults. Children cannot mentally handle serving a sentence with adults. Such practice can lead to mental illnesses, rape, physical assaults, and an increased chance of adopting new crimes. Finally, children often commit crimes out of ignorance or peer pressure. If juveniles are trialed as adults, they are not likely to recover, which means that their lives will be ruined because of societys inability to protect them.
A recent case in Pennsylvania demonstrates why children cannot be treated as adults. Thirteen-year-old Brayden Wright is charged with murder for killing his nine-year-old brother for a simple fact that the younger brother refused to play a game with Brayden (Metrick, 2020). This demonstrates that children do not realize the consequences of their actions. However, according to Pennsylvania laws, there is a high chance that the offender will be treated as an adult by the criminal justice system. If Wright is charged with first-degree murder, he will automatically y go to jail for life. Thus, a childs life will be over for no reason.
Juvenile Delinquency: Perception versus Reality
While juvenile delinquency is becoming less frequent, people seem to become more worried about violent adolescents. Current news is full of stories about mindless murders committed by children and school shootings. According to Keneally (2019), there have been at least 11 deadly shootings at schools associated with more than 100 victims in total. Such reports make people afraid of teenagers inability to control their anger. However, the total number of violent crimes decreased from 1,108 thousand in 1993 to 215 thousand in 2017, which is an 80% decrease in violent crime prevalence (Statista, 2019). However, even with general downward trends, juvenile delinquency is a significant social issue that needs to be addressed.
Juvenile violence persists because its root causes exist in society. According to the United Nations (UN, 2003), juvenile delinquency is positively correlated with urbanization, economic instability, media violence propaganda, exclusion, peer pressure, family problems, and the availability of firearms. While UN (2003) reports that criminal delinquency becomes less prevalent around the world, the US remains one of the countries with an increased prevalence of violent crimes committed by adolescents. According to Junger-Tas (2012), the US has the third largest prevalence of juvenile violence in the world of Ireland and Aruba. Thus, even though the current rates of juvenile delinquency are falling, the public remains concerned with the problem.
Changing Views of Delinquency
The views on juvenile delinquency varied at different periods of US history. In the progressive era of the early 1900s, the US justice system began to realize responsibility for juvenile offenders to help recover (Impact Law, n.d.). In 1974, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act finally achieved complete separation of adults from juvenile offenders (Impact Law, n.d.). However, in the 1990s, Americans faced growing concern over highly publicized and violent juvenile crime. In order to fight crime, criminal law began to treat children and adolescents as adult offenders in cases of serious offenses. Currently, the global community starts to push for revising these changes to help children and adolescents reintegrate with society even after committing serious crimes.
The changes in society can be illustrated by the events in Pennsylvania. Recently, thirteen-year-old Brayden Wright is charged with murder for killing his nine-year-old brother for a simple fact that the younger brother refused to play a game with Brayden (Metrick, 2020). According to Pennsylvania laws, children at the age of 10 and above can be trialed as adults for first- and second-degree murders (Metrick, 2020). However, the defenders are pushing towards moving the case to the juvenile court (Metrick, 2020). In 2017, a fifteen-year-old shooter in Pennsylvania was trialed in the juvenile court (Metrick, 2020). These two cases demonstrate that the attitude of the criminal justice system to juvenile delinquency is changing.
An African-American teenager named John does not have many friends. He is a successful student, an obedient son, and a caring brother but the lack of peer communication worries him. In an attempt to make friends with a group of classmates, John attends a party where he drinks too much alcohol and gets involved in a fight. As the outcome of the physical conflict, one of the boys at the party gets hurt. When Johns parents find out about the incident, they make him apologize, punish him, and resolve the conflict with the injured party. However, the peers in the class know about Johns temper when under the influence of alcohol and avoid communicating with them.
Also, teachers initiate socially educational work, publically discussing Johns behavior as an example of wrongdoing. Being labeled as a dangerous person, John always gets accused when someone is beaten, or a party with drinking becomes uncontrolled. As a result, he becomes an alcohol addict, joins a gang, and voluntarily engages in criminal activity after school, which involves him in continuous troubles with the police.
From the point of view of labeling theory, the initial drinking and the first fight at the party is Johns primary deviance. Since society labeled him a deviant after the first incident, the consecutive drinking problem and criminal behavior of the main character became secondary deviance (Keirns et al. 141). The impact of labeling in the teenage years was very strong because this is the time of individuals identity formation (Abrah 179). Under the influence of societys opinion about him, Johns identity altered, and he began to perceive himself as a deviant, thus acting like one.
Application of Conflict Theory
Johns secondary deviance might be explained from the perspective of conflict theory. This approach justifies that criminal or deviant behavior depends on socio-economic factors, including race and income (Keirns et al. 140). These key propositions of the theory imply a high level of the main characters probability to become a criminal. Johns race contributes to his likelihood to react to societys labeling in a deviant manner since he represents the minority. Johns deviation demonstrates the imbalance between racial majorities and minorities. Consequently, due to the statistical prevalence of African Americans among the criminals, Johns chances of being convicted of a crime are very high.
Application of Merton Strain Theory
The actions and decision-making of the main character of the story might be theorized from another angle. Mertons strain theory explains deviant behavior by the inability of an individual to achieve socially acceptable goals by socially acceptable means (Lester 13). John has a goal of becoming a socially active citizen, but he does not have lawful means of integrating into society. His way of adapting to the gap between the goal and the means to achieve it is ritualism, through which John lowers his goal to being a member of a criminal gang as a prototype of society (Keirns et al. 139). His adherence to the rules of criminal life is socially unacceptable.
However, by lowering his goal, the main character succeeded in achieving it by means of deviant behavior. One of the weaknesses of strain theory is its inability to provide an adequate explanation of goals achievement when the goals are not economical. In other words, the theory is best applied to the explanation of crimes and deviation related to the financial sphere and economic success.
Works Cited
Abrah, Prince Boamah. Labeling Theory and Life Stories of Juvenile Delinquents Transitioning into Adulthood. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, vol. 63, no. 2, 2019, pp. 179-197.
Keirns, Nathan J., et al. Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed., OpenStax, 2018.
Lester, Joshua L. Strain and Adaptation Among Probation Officers: An Application of Mertons Classic Strain Theory. Dissertation, Middle Tennessee State University, 2016. Web.
Juvenile delinquency refers to the breaking of the law by children. By virtue of being minors, offenders of this nature may or may not be treated normally by the judicial system of a country. Psychologists continue to grapple with the problem of finding out what causes this behavior. They have come up with theories that try to explain the process that leads to growth of delinquency in a person. What does the family do? Is it a personality problem? What does the society do wrong to make it worse? This paper studies one particular case relating it to psychological theories to answer these questions. I will use Howard to describe the child.
Pathway to Delinquency and Family Role
The problem of Howard stated because of low self esteem. This problem was initially noted by his parents. They agree he was too much of a perfectionist. He did not want to be with others. He therefore resented going to school and missed out on opportunities to play with others. According to psychologists, this is a bad trend which should be curtailed by parents. They should have insisted that Howard go to play and join the rest of the kids in school.
To improve self esteem, the parents should have developed the strong points of the kid and made sure that they invite other kids to complement Howard. This way, he would have developed self esteem. The parents should have played a direct role in improving self esteem. Instead of allowing him to hide in his room, they should have offered him simple roles after which they would award him and congratulate him. This need not have been perfect (Debbie et al. 2004).
Other Payers
The school community stand accused just like the parents. After noticing the behavior of Howard, they should have done all that is possible to enable the kid mingle. However, Howard proclaims that it did not help him. Therefore, it was an act in futility although he says that it actually helped him for a short time. He did not show any resentment at home. However, it is notable that he was in the midst of many people when growing up. These people may have been really good at what they do triggering the self pity in Howard. This is paradoxical considering his mother says that the other kids actually perceived him as funny and likable. The problem she says was a feeling for self pity which leads to very low self esteem (Hess and Hess, 2005).
Delinquency Onset and Evidence
Howards delinquent behavior did not start late it started early. As a kid, there were just glaringly unpredictable signs at least to the parents. Most parents think of the problem as a personality trait. During the late teenage years, he started been overly reactive of a minor problem. He would sulk over small misdeeds. He started missing therapy appointments and would get angry when asked about it. These were the signs that should have prompted action from both parents and doctor.
The IQ tests conducted on the kid were not consistent ranging from 4-13. These showed that he had lots of intellectual potential in some fields and lack of it in others. The wide range achievement test showed similar inconsistencies. They were also notable when the Bender Gestalt test was done on the kid. All these were pointers of a psychological problem in the making (Debbie et al. 2004).
Theories Relating To Study
Behavioral Theory
This theory is a description of the positive results and the negative outcomes of a particular behavior carried on to the future. The theory argues that diminishing or enhancing behavior is dependent on the learning method and process and that future behavior can only be shaped today. Therefore the argument claims that the danger that underlies the growth and development of a kid is the lack of and too much availability of either positive or negative information to aid in the growth of the kid. If good and encouraging information is what is said to the kid, likelihood is that he will grow to be responsible.
If the song sang to a kid is the reprimand song, the kid will be deviant and grow to believe in what people say about him. To prevent a worst case scenario it is paramount for the kid to be placed at an environment that will enable the kid to be nurtured the right way (Hess and Hess, 2005).
Social Reaction Theory
The theory was brought to the limelight during the time power was a source of struggle in colleges and power games that later played out would bring havoc and social unrest in campuses. The theory explains this was bound to create disharmony and discontent within the social setup of the school and this served as a welcome point for social unrest and teenage misbehavior. This theory looks at the concept of self and the effect the issue of labeling can have on the self and the person s ego and societal well up. The theory further says that a person will look at others depending on what he can see when he looks at oneself.
This is called the principle of looking glass self and it highlights the theory that what a person sees from the imagination of the inner self and the appearance to others will reflect his behavior towards them. If this concept is applied to juveniles, it tries to highlight the need for kid to learn to appreciate oneself in the social set up in order to have the confidence that others are appreciating him and hence will live in harmony with them due to that self imaging (Hess and Hess, 2005).
References
Debbie, R. et al. (2004). Common Themes and Treatment Approaches in Working with Families of Runaway Youth. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 32(4), 13953.
Hess, M. & Hess, P.M. ( 2005). Child Welfare for the 21 Century. New York, N.Y: Columbia Books.
Children, adolescents, and young people desire to discover something new, previously unknown, to assert themselves in innovative activities. The younger generation is naturally characterized by increased activity, which manifests in the negative (relatively high criminalization, drug addiction, sexual deviation) and positive (artistic, technical, scientific creativity) manifestations of deviance. The paper aims to deduce the relationship between education and juvenile delinquency and find methods to reduce or prevent the young generations criminal activity.
The Education Institutions Impact
The school and community organizations include an obligation to assist the school in adjusting to the needs of the child so that he or she can create self-esteem, self-confidence, and a consoling introduction towards life. School is linked to juvenile delinquency in three ways; it can lead to crime, help prevent crime, and deal with criminal behavior within its walls. Thus, schools are central to all institutions that influence childrens ideas and activities.
There are many reasons for juvenile delinquency, but economists emphasize the dependence of crime on education. Raising the level of schooling primarily affects the level of income both present and, which is especially essential, future. A higher level of legal income reduces criminal earnings attractiveness, such as income from theft or robberybesides, the loss of profits from unearned future revenues while in prison increases (Trisnawati & Ismail, 2019). There is little preventive scholarly work in educational institutions, there is no work with parents, and the internal regulations of educational institutions are not observed. In all educational institutions, a ban has been introduced to students wearing individual objects, but this is not respected. Therefore, education has an indirect effect on the potential crime rate.
Teachers as an Incubator for Prevention the Criminal Activity
Almost every teacher is faced with the responsibilities of dealing with an inadequate or delinquent child. The average teacher can do to enable ill-adapted children to develop, realize the significance of civic duty, create excellent social relations, and procure a degree of financial competence. According to Theimann (2016), a positive student-teacher relationship is associated with a lower likelihood of delinquent and deviant student behavior. Since the interpersonal relationship between teachers and students plays a vital role in assisting ill-adapted children, the average teachers personality is essential.
Socioemotional Skills Training
Although there was an adequately trained teacher in each class, there will still be cases of behavioral problems and delinquency in children that teachers will need professional. Many teachers now working in schools need much more than help solving a few severe behavior problems. They need on-the-job training in teaching and counseling children and in methods of working with groups because they were not adequately prepared for the work of raising children (Pardini, 2016). Thus, the services of an individual school that complement and encourage the work of the customary instructor to make a fundamental commitment to the schools endeavor to solve the delinquency.
In many cases, schools and teachers focus only on academic performances of students. According to Perdana (2018), instruction in Indonesia still centered on cognitive perspective, whereas the attitude of delicate abilities or non-scholastic, which is the most component of character instruction so distant, still gets less consideration. However, specialized administrations are characterized as the services of those offices, bureaus, divisions within the school framework that gives coordinate help to students. Such school organizations are staffed by pediatricians, school social specialists, therapists, school guests, psychologists, and attendance monitors. Childrens instructive divisions and mental bureaus offer assistance with issues emerging from learning challenges, identity issues, and family maladjustment. The school psychologist is especially concerned about adjusting the educational modules to issue childrens mental capacities and educating strategies to encourage learning. All of these administrations complement and support the curriculum and activities in the regular lesson.
Law-Related Education
In preventing and reducing juvenile delinquency, schools must adhere to the rule of law in providing moral education so that they can work together. As Nic and Grdinaru (2016) state, moral character development of children and young people is the utmost priority of any educational process, for morality is a prerequisite for the development of civilization (p. 131). First, schools must integrate legal knowledge into the schools moral teaching and develop a clear and informed legal education plan. In specific learning activities, the unhealthy disposition and psychological conflicts associated with minors can be integrated with legal knowledge. On this basis, a law class can be opened to provide students with a legal education to resist students various temptations.
Secondly, they need to develop several ways to disseminate the legal system for raising minors. Schools can make full utilization of exercises like one legal theme per day , one legitimate story per week to energize minors to take an interest in illegal activities and to cultivate mindfulness of crime prevention. Therefore, in the process of introducing legal education, schools must clear the clearly protect rights and then effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of children.
Conclusion
The level of juvenile delinquency is influenced not only by the education and state of law enforcement agencies. However, one of the most potent measures to reduce juvenile delinquency and future delinquency is education. In other words, the work of teachers in educational practice and their relationship with students, the intervention of specialists, and teaching in the field of law, reduce the incentives to commit crimes in adolescence. Soft control measures generate significantly higher long-term income for society.
References
Nic, N., & Grdinaru, M. (2016). Education-mission, values and principles for life, with an important role in preventing juvenile deviance and delinquency. Acta Universitatis George Bacovia (Juridica), 5(1). 1-10
Pardini, D. (2016). Empirically based strategies for preventing juvenile delinquency. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 25(2), 257-268.
Perdana, N. S. (2018). The strengthening character education in schools in Indonesia. Edutech, 17(1), 32-54.
Theimann, M. (2016). School as a space of socialization and prevention. European Journal of Criminology, 13(1), 67-91.
Trisnawati, D., & Ismail, D. S. (2019). Inter-Provincial spatial linkages of crime pattern in Indonesia: Looking at education and economic inequality effects on crime. The Indonesian Journal of Geography, 51(2), 106-113.