Abstract
In this generation, temptation among youth is higher than ever. It is easy for kids to fall into this trap due to easy access around them. The number of youth involved in juvenile crime in the past years has increased immensely. The purpose of this research paper is to figure out the main causes of why the number has skyrocketed so high. I will search for the most reliable sources, and use human sources as well. Juvenile delinquency is something that most people only see the surface of. They see kids that make bad choices. Most people do not take the time to fully understand the reason behind why they may be doing what they are doing. My role in writing this is to figure out these reasons, and share them with those who do not understand. My goal in this paper is to help people to become educated before they judge these kids. I believe there are major causes that influence youth to commit crimes, and they should be taken into consideration.
Growing Years
Kids are known to be rebellious and adventurous, especially between the ages of ten and eighteen. This is basically the commonly known “teenage years” when kids want to find their purpose in the world and are more driven to fight against conforming to what society tells them to do. These are the most influential years in a human’s life. This is when kids really begin to learn about everything that comes with “growing up.” This is when the outside influences have the biggest effect on a child. These influences include celebrities they see through television and social media, teachers and other people in authority such as bosses or managers at a job, and mostly the people around them such as friends and family, especially their parents. These people all influence that kid’s behavior. Most of the time, the influence will benefit the kid. For example, parents and teachers helping a child figure out the things they are good at and enjoy doing to help them start looking at career paths and colleges to apply for. Or maybe it is coaches and teammates driving the kid to be the best athlete he can be. These are all the factors that would normally lead to a successful human being in the future. However, things do not always go as planned, and sometimes the influences surrounding a child are not so good. When a child is exposed to bad actions such as negative behavior, abuse, peer pressure, negligence, or a broken home, they are automatically going to have a harder time becoming a successful functioning citizen. They lose the factor of positive reinforcement and support, which is pretty crucial to becoming a successful human. Even though many kids are able to overcome the negative influences and get themselves on the right path from the help of another source, most of them are not able to do so. These are the at-risk youth that are more than likely on the road leading to future criminal activity. Outside influences have the strongest effect on a child, and family is the most affective factor.
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First of Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile delinquency made its appearance most noticeably during the progressive area, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This was mainly caused by the changes in social conditions, immigration, and urbanization (...). Kids spent time wandering in the streets, which usually resulted in criminal activity. At first, kids were locked up with grown adults when they were being held. This had to change due to the negative actions and influences, however kids that committed certain crimes are sometimes put in adult courts. The new houses of refuge and reformatories were made specifically for at-risk youth. These places would work with the kids to teach them the physical and social skills that they lacked due to their previous environment.
Family Issues
When you look at the leading causes of juvenile delinquency, a reoccuring factor that you see is problems associated with family. Whether it’s violence at home, a single-parent home, abuse within the family, or even the parental guidance that is being distributed. One of the largest contributing factors is violence in the home and it is shown that when a child is subjected to violence, they tend to turn violent also. Kids exposed to violent actions are far more likely to act their fears and frustrations out, which allows them to get in trouble easier. Also, a single parent home can have an affect on the child. Without both figures in your life, it opens up more difficulties and the child could look at it as being ‘’motherless’’or ‘’fatherless’’. Alongside that, parental influence is the most important factor in deterring delinquency. If a parent interacts with the child and shows them what is acceptable behavior then they are less likely to act in a delinquent act. It is very important for the child to have a secure and strong bond or connection with their parents. Children need an adult to influence them and show them the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Socioeconomic Factors
Socioeconomic factors play a huge role in contributing to juvenile delinquency and tie in with several others. Juvenile delinquency is more common in poorer neighborhoods and the kids in these areas feel they must commit crimes and do things as they see around them. If they are surrounded by theft, gangs, violence, and more they are more likely to fall into that as their lives go on. This also ties in with poor educational standards. The type of school that a child attends could also contribute to their delinquency. Schools in poorer locations are usually underfunded and tend to lack in discipline and order which causes unsteady learning environments. Children in these situations often act more defensively because of the environment surrounding them. Another huge factor that is really important is the parental involvement in their school work and activities. Parents that are engaged with their kids education and care about their kids work, that child is more prone to perform well in the classroom. Another thing tied directly into this is poor school attendance. School is not just for learning, it develops habits and routines as well. Children who are not encouraged by this are losing good habits and creates a bad base for the future.
Lack of Finances
Another leading cause of juvenile delinquency is lack of finances. Children growing up in poverty and lower income areas tend to conform to their society and find easier ways to make money. This usually ends up in the children trying to steal for things they don’t have.
Ways of Prevention
In conclusion, juvenile delinquency can be caused from several different factors throughout a kid’s life. However, there are some ways to prevent it. While poor education is a causing factor of juvenile delinquency, providing different educational programs for the students to have awareness of what their actions could do is a great improvement. Another way alongside better education programs is recreation. Recreation programs allow the kids to connect with the youth around them in their community. Community involvement is also very important in keeping a kid out of trouble. These few simple changes could allow friendships to be built and brighter futures for kids on the wrong path.
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