Research Paper on Juveniles Who Offend: Civil Litigation for Rehabilitation

Introduction

Juvenile offenders are individuals who engage in unlawful behaviors before attaining the legal age (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). In many countries across the world, the statutory age of majority is 18 with a few nations setting the limit at 17. In common practice, juvenile offenders are prosecuted under civil litigation even though their actions might be severe enough to warrant criminal prosecution. Civil litigation is preferred because it encourages the rehabilitation of young offenders instead of subjecting them to corporal punishment. Accordingly, lenient juvenile corrections are designed to deal with normative adolescent behaviors which are common in individuals below 18 years, thereby preventing them from extreme antisocial conduct (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). In this report, a discussion is presented to highlight the impacts caused by judicial corrections on juvenile offenders.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Characteristics of this Special Population

The juvenile population comprises individuals between 10 and 18 years. While the maximum age limit is specified, the minimum range for juvenile detention varies according to jurisdictions. In some countries, there is no minimum age limit of juvenile prosecution thereby implying that children of all age groups can be prosecuted. Accordingly, some states provide further classifications of age ranges for juvenile offenders such as; 0-5, 6-11, and 12-18 (Hirschi & Selvin, 2017). Such groupings can then be used to clarify the judicial procedures, adoption, and rehabilitation for the minors. According to statistical analysis from the USA, 75 million young people are vulnerable to juvenile delinquency (Hirschi & Selvin, 2017). Therefore, it is an implication that one in four children between 10 and 18 years has the potential of committing minor crimes.

When classified according to racial affiliations, results show that juvenile offending is rampant among whites comprising 57% of the reported cases (Hirschi & Selvin, 2017). Hispanic communities make up 10%, while black populations are 10%. Accordingly, juvenile delinquency among Asians is reported as 5% while American Indians comprise 1% of the total incidents (Hirschi & Selvin, 2017). In terms of socio-economic status, statistics show that the majority of children involved in juvenile delinquency are impoverished. In particular, 63% of these children are raised in poverty-stricken families, while 22% are living with single parents (Hirschi & Selvin, 2017). The statistics indicate that only 15% of children offenders are influenced by peer pressure in their communities. Juvenile offenders can also be classified according to charge levels preferred against the prosecuted children. As such, there are three major classifications namely: delinquency, criminal behavior, and status offences.

Issues Associated with Juvenile Offenders

While juvenile detention is justifiable for the rehabilitation of unlawful children, there are some issues associated with this practice that might hinder the mental development of these young offenders. Firstly, the facility design is somehow similar to adult detention centers, thereby causing psychological tension in children. Juvenile centers are often under restrictive principles and schedules which dictate activities of the day, thus scaring children who have been under the tender care of their parents or guardians (Thompson & Bynum, 2016). Secondly, some juvenile centers are not adequately managed thus resulting in recurring cases of accidents, illness, and mental trauma among the detained children. In extreme cases, some children even succumb to chronic diseases like asthma and stroke because of the irresponsible behaviors of the officers in charge. When such incidences occur, the remaining children become scared until they cannot cope up with the rehabilitation programs (Thompson & Bynum, 2016). Thirdly, juvenile detention faces programming issues that irritate children and affect their mental development. These facilities have strict rules which should be obeyed by children all the time. Failure to abide by these programs can attract severe punishments hence causing psychological disturbances. Lastly, children in juvenile detention are affected by hostility from correctional officers. As a result, young offenders become too terrified to seek help from these aggressive officials.

Addressing these Issues

To rectify the issues arising in juvenile detention centers, the judicial system should adopt the following recommendations. Firstly, the facilities should be designed to be more friendly and conducive for children. Juvenile centers should contain playgrounds, children learning facilities, and parental guidance to enhance flawless adaptation and rehabilitation of children (Hirschi, 2017). Besides, these young offenders should not be compromised as if they are hardened criminals who deserve restrictive controls and intensive monitoring. Secondly, juvenile centers should provide sufficient medical attention to children before the conditions become severe. These services can include; regular check-ups, nutritional care, and psychological examinations to ascertain the stability of their health conditions. Thirdly, it is essential to nurture social relations between correctional officers and children in detention so that they can view the officials as their guardians (Hirschi, 2017).

Conclusion

The discussion has revealed that juvenile delinquency focuses on crimes committed by children under the age of 18. These young offenders engage in criminal activities due to factors such as; poverty, inherent behaviors, and inadequate parental guidance. When presented in the court of law, juvenile offenders prosecuted under civil procedures before taking them to rehabilitation centers. However, some of these correctional institutions have poorly designed facilities, hostile officers, medical problems, and restrictive problems thereby affecting mental development of children. Therefore, it is advisable to adopt conducive operations that can enhance rehabilitation of children instead of perceiving them like adult criminals.

References

Hirschi, T. (2017). Causes and prevention of juvenile delinquency. In The Craft of Criminology (pp. 105-120). Routledge.

Hirschi, T., & Selvin, H. C. (2017). Delinquency research: An appraisal of analytic methods. Routledge.

Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. C. (2014). Juvenile delinquency: Theory, practice, and law. Cengage Learning.

Thompson, W. E., & Bynum, J. E. (2016). Juvenile delinquency: A sociological approach. Rowman & Littlefield.