Juvenile Delinquency Prevalence Essay Example

Crime is a growing phenomenon in current society. It is a set of infractions committed against the public order that grows every day, not only in this country but also in the whole world. Juvenile delinquency is a social phenomenon that puts at risk the public security, as well as against the good customs established by society. Juvenile delinquency is a worldwide phenomenon since it extends from the most exclusive areas in the suburbs of large cities; from affluent or wealthy families to the poorest with scarce resources (Huizinga & Elliot, 2017). It is a problem that occurs in all social strata and any part of our civilization The involvement of minors, adolescents and youth in gangs that generate acts of violence, death, irregular acts and common crime in mass events has been increasing. According to the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) (2017), the number of arrests was more than 2 million arrests of juvenile delinquents. These were only reported cases, and the report states that the number of unreported cases may even be higher. There are high levels of juvenile delinquency and youth gangs in the USA, Europe, USSR, Japan, and in Africa.

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There are several theories that can help to understand why juvenile delinquency has been on the rise. The first one is the theory of subcultures. According to this theory, the difficulty of youth to achieve objectives and a socially recognized status produces groups of young people who form subcultures delinquents and deviated from the right path, which have their own values and norms (Cicourel, 2017). Subculture is used in sociology to define a group of people with a distinctive set or brand and beliefs that differentiate them from the dominant culture of which they are part of. For those who, for example, do not achieve educational attainment, it is more difficult to attain wealth and social status secured by a well-paid job, and therefore, they are more likely to use criminal means to achieve these goals. This theory is similar to Euler's reputation management theory, which states that for most young people the transgression of the rules is a desire to achieve a reputation that is not achieved in school, it is a way to maintain the status (Thompson & Morris, 2016). More crimes are committed at an early age because of the importance of the opinion of others.

Another theory is the sociological perspective theory. From here, crime is explained according to the social structure, the process of social interaction or the established social system. Durkheim's Functional Structural Theory focuses on the social structure. It introduces the concept of anomie, and that crime is the result of the lack of rules (Thompson & Morris, 2016). Its causes are an excessive division of labor, poor collective consciousness and great individualism. This theory attributes the cause of crime to the established social system and points to three factors, migration, industrialization, and urbanization.

There are several factors that have contributed to the increase in juvenile delinquency prevalence. First, there are sociological reasons where the environment of the offender is full of social inequalities, racism, family disintegration, stigmatization, and resentment towards society. It can also be through consumption of drugs or alcohol, as well as the harmful influence of some programs and particular means of communication or watching videos that favor the growth of the violence (Rodriguez, 2013). The influence of the environment on the development of juvenile delinquency is also significant, children placed in an impoverished environment or living in difficult conditions are strongly tempted to decipher their existence by theft. Socio-economic marginalization and poverty hinder the process of socialization of the child (Omboto, Ondiek, Odera, & Ayugi, 2013). This marginalization occurs more frequently among young people belonging to immigrant families (especially unaccompanied migrant minors) and certain ghettos in the major cities, where dehumanized urban designs often favor the appearance of their inhabitant's feelings of anguish and aggression.

Broken families have also contributed to the increase in the prevalence of juvenile delinquency. Children belonging to broken homes, and even the difficulties that sometimes occur when parents try to reconcile work and family life, are situations which lead to increased cases of neglect, and lack of limits and control over the children. Unemployment is also a factor, given the highest rates of unemployment among young people, resulting in many cases of frustration and hopelessness that become a breeding ground for deviant behavior (Gardner & Steinberg, 2005). The consumption of drugs and toxic substances, which, in many cases, causes the addict to be impelled to commit a crime to provide him or her with the economic means to pay for his or her addiction. Also, under the effects of its consumption or a deficiency state, the usual inhibitory brakes are reduced or eliminated. The immoderate consumption of alcohol (even if it occurs sporadically), plays a great role in influencing the youth to commit acts of vandalism and violations of road safety, should also be mentioned here.

Conclusion

The best way to prevent children and adolescents from falling into crime is to promote, through various government policies, school attendance, linking with sports in any of its aspects, and bringing supportive therapies to those young people who come from of risky homes to deal precisely with the psychological impact that this causes. It is also crucial that from the sectors of the power of society, from the media and at school, a message is promoted in favor of work, study and sports, and the condemnation of any activity that constitutes a crime.

References

Cicourel, A. (2017). Theories of delinquency and the rule of law. The Social Organization of Juvenile Justice, 22-57.

Gardner, W., & Steinberg, L. (2005). Peer influence on risk taking, risk performance, and risky decision making in adolescence and adulthood: An experimental study. Developmental Psychology 41: 625-635.

Huizinga, D., & Elliot, D. (2017). Juvenile Offenders: Prevalence, Offender Incidence, and Arrest Rates by Race. Crime & Delinquency 33(2):206-223.

National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) (2017). (n.d.). The Concise Dictionary of Crime and Justice. doi:10.4135/9781452229300.n1246

Omboto, J. O., Ondiek, G. O., Odera, O., & Ayugi, M. E. (2013). Factors influencing Youth crime and juvenile delinquency. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 1(2), 18-21.

Rodriguez, N. (2013). Concentrated disadvantage and the incarceration of youth: Examining how context affects juvenile justice. Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency 50: 189-215.

Thompson, K. C., & Morris, R. J. (2016). Theories of Juvenile Delinquency. Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development Juvenile Delinquency and Disability, 41-53.