At Risk Youth, a Menace to Society?

Rising juvenile delinquency rates are becoming more of a world issue. Juveniles today are greatly influenced by their peers and the social environments of school, work, and home. As social media networks become more technologically advanced adolescents are receiving less physical and emotional contact. As a result, the next generation is becoming less personal. Due to the lack of contact, juveniles look for something to stimulate themselves.  Often times this leads juveniles to participate in drug use unprotected sex, violence or thievery. Juvenile delinquency is on the rise and programming is necessary in order to provide children with the skills they need to avoid crime and delinquency.

 

Juvenile delinquency as defined by Legal Dictionary, is “a person who is under age, typically under 18, who is found to have committed a crime in states which have declared by law that a minor lacks responsibility and thus may not be sentenced as an adult” (2012). Those at the greatest risk of becoming juvenile delinquents typically come from underprivileged and unhealthy home environments exhibiting alcoholism, poverty, divorce, foster care, or abuse (World Youth Report, 2003). Juvenile delinquency affects society, the victim, victim’s family, the delinquent’s family, and the community in which they live. Nationwide, juvenile delinquency costs society “tens to hundreds of billions of dollars annually” (Juvenile Crime, 1995).

 

 

Figure 1: Statistics of males verses females pertaining to the four general offense categories (U.S. Department of Justice, 2010)

Despite the great impact juvenile delinquency has upon society there some groups who benefit and contribute to the delinquency problem. Judges are just one example of people who benefit from juvenile delinquency. A New York Times article from 2009 states, “Judges Plead Guilty in Scheme to Jail Youths for Profit,” and  describes how two judges took more than “2.6 million dollars in kickbacks” to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers (Hamill, 2009). Those that contribute to rising rates of juvenile delinquency are the failing economy, pressures of unemployment, increases in rent, poverty and overcrowding of urban areas, rapid population growth, inadequate public education, and a decline in community support (World Youth Report, 2003). All of these examples and more create a negative impact on adolescents and can increase their likelihood of delinquency.

Preventative action for juvenile delinquency includes organized individual and group approaches. One approach can focus on delinquency prevention through providing frightening images and terrifying accounts of what happens to juvenile delinquents. Other approaches include explaining the negative characteristics of certain offenses and how they affect the victim and surrounding community (World Youth Report, 2003).  Providing after school activities, youth centers, internships, jobs, tutoring or mentoring services to the next generation is likely to lessen the rate of juvenile delinquency. Getting youth interested in extracurricular activities helps them to abstain from illegal activities   In addition; extracurricular activities help to keep juveniles off the streets and out of gangs.  Decreasing delinquency can help juveniles get a better education, scholarships through sports, and to better themselves and their community. Growth and expansion of these programs and cooperation between community and law enforcement are becoming increasingly important in the effort to prevent juvenile delinquency.

 

The future of juvenile delinquency will only get worse if nothing positive is done. Comprehensive programs including more than the negative impacts of crime and the outcome of juvenile delinquent are needed in order to truly make a difference in the lives of juvenile offenders. Creating alternative programs directed away from crime is the best deterrence and helps youth create a better future for themselves and others.

 

Works Cited

"Chapter 7 Juvenile Delinquency." Un.org. World Youth Report, 2003. Web. Sept. 2012. <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/ch07.pdf>.

"Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Court, 2007." Ncjrs.gov. U.S. Department of Justice, 2010. Web. Sept. 2012. <https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/230168.pdf>.

Hamill, Ian Urbina And Sean D. "Judges Plead Guilty in Scheme to Jail Youths for Profit." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Feb. 2009. Web. Sept. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13judge.html?pagewanted=all>.

"Juvenile Crime--Outlook for California." Legislative Analyst's Office. N.p., 1995. Web. Sept. 2012. <http://www.lao.ca.gov/1995/050195_juv_crime/kkpart6.aspx>.

"Juvenile Delinquent." TheFreeDictionary.com. N.p., 2012. Web. Sept. 2012. <http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/juvenile delinquent>.