According to Hagan (2010), research plays a critical role in social sciences. Apart from being a source of new information which expands on the scope of the current knowledge, research is used to identify gaps which may exist in current practice, policies, and to find means to close those gaps. For research in social science and in specific in criminal justice to be carried out, it's important to identify a research problem which the study will address. According to Nelson (2016), a research problem is a statement in the research which explains the problem the research seeks to address. Apart from being a general problem, a research problem can be a gap which exists in previously conducted researches which the new study would seek to address. …show more content…
The studies had also concluded that property crimes and drug use were also not elevated during after-school hours. However, Gottfredson & Soule, 2005 notes a gap in the previous studies which could have been a source of error as far as the outcome of their studies were concerned. According to the two, previous studies had either examined a single crime type or aggregated different types of crimes together often lead to misleading conclusions. In conducting this study, Gottfredson & Soule, 2005 were researching on the issue of crimes timing on juveniles. They sought to address gaps which had been witnessed in previous studies which often gave misleading conclusions. Gottfredson & Soule, (2005) states that, "The current study analyze the timing of delinquent behavior by seperating self-reports into different types of crime (property, violent, and substance use) and comparing the facts or commonness of these crime types during different times of the day to what would be as likely to happen if crime were aproportion to the number of hours contained in each …show more content…
The study finds that during school times, crimes, especially against persons for juveniles, were at highest. The study explores factors expected to influence delinquent behavior such as the presence of peers. The study finding also shows that crimes among juveniles are to some extent influenced by timing. The article chooses the policy issue of crime intervention. Based on the time certain crimes occur, the study suggests that this can be used in preventing crimes. The study also suggests measures of reducing or preventing youth victimization by enhancing the school structure since most crimes especially those against persons occurs at school. The authors suggest that identification of effective strategies and specific programs which address issues related to crime have shown promise as far as reducing crimes and antisocial behaviors. The study suggests programs such as enhancing school management, clarification and communication of norms about behavior, teaching competency behavior, and employing cognitive behavior to teach social competency skills as means of addressing crimes among juveniles (Gottfredson & Soule,
There are many crimes committed by teenagers every year. Crimes that are committed by teens each year are mainly assault, bullying, gang violence, and physical fights. According to National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, about 1 and 9 murders are from kids that are under 18 (Center, 2001). In 1998, there were approximately 2,570 among youth aged 10-19. Every day there are at least 7 children murdered in the United States (Center, 2001). Statistics say that between 16%-32% female teenagers have committed a crime before the age of 17. Also 30%-40% male teenagers have committed a violent crime before they turned 17 (Center, 2001). Teenagers that commit crimes are the ones who were abused or bullied as a...
Juvenile Delinquency is a complicated subject because researchers and scholars have tried different methods to reduce it. Research shows that the methods which have had better results are those that are implemented in a way where the family of the juveniles gets involved in the process (Laub, 2014). A policy that will be advocated is the policy in the city of Santa Ana, CA: The Santa Ana Police Athletic and Academic League (SAPAAL). If we want to reduce delinquency and crime then we should focus on prevention rather than intervention. There is not one theory that explains why people commit crime, on the contrary, there are multiple well-known theories that argue for different explanations of delinquency. As learned through lectures
In studying criminal behavior scientist have categorized the period between childhood and adulthood as adolescents. The age is generally from 12 to 18 years of age. The vast majority of adolescents who suffer from poverty, neglect and abuse, do not commit crimes. They struggle in their chaotic environment with little or no support but public concern focuses on the juveniles, which break the law and enter the ‘system.’ For years the manner in which juveniles or adolescents have been cared for or disciplined has shifted back and forth between treatment and punishment. Presently, in the United States, the shift has moved toward more public involvement with the various police forces. Police departments are providing more enforcement within the schools to reduce criminal activity and slow the flow of drug trafficking. The police officers are known as Juvenile Officers. A Juvenile Office is a position for which some police departments provide specialized training so the police officers can work effectively with juveniles. {Clemens Bartollas, Juvenile Delinquency, 2003, Glossary.}
Schools that experience crimes and drug abuse are mostly found in disorganized neighborhoods. Schools attempt to ensure safety between students in staff by using mechanical devices but as we see that don’t always help. Research shows that many of the perpetrators of school crime have been or are victims of delinquency themselves. The focus of delinquency entitled “Does school crime reflect neighborhood delinquency?”
Juvenile delinquency is a conduct by a juvenile or a person below the legal age that is above parental control thus dealt with by the law. Crime in this case cannot be punishable by death or life imprisonment. There are many cases of juvenile delinquency in recent times that have raised many issues in the United State’s legal systems. There are many ways of explaining juvenile delinquency and crime when it comes to; cause, results, and legal actions pertaining to crimes. Alex Kotlowitz in his book, “There Are No Children Here” focuses on crime and juvenile delinquency through life experiences. This story is about the life of two boys who the author researched for a few years. The two boys were from Chicago, grew up in a poor family, surrounded by poverty, gangs, and violence as do many of us who come from low income, minority filled areas. The two boys unfortunately, sad to say end up in juvenile hall which clearly depicts the whole concept of crime and juvenile delinquency that arises from more issues than simply meets the eye . Issues relating to the social disorganization theory of poverty, disorganization, and low community control. This paper will analyze the story using themes that relate to juvenile delinquency and further discuss causes and ways to control juvenile delinquency
There has always been alarm and despair over escalating juvenile crime. In the 1950s there were reports about the mushrooming problems with youthful gangs in the big cities. In the 1960s we began to hear about a surge of juvenile crime in areas that had been regarded as virtually crime free. In the suburbs as well as the inner cities, youngsters were dropping out of school, using drugs and committing crimes. In the 1970s and 1980s, juvenile court dockets became increasingly jammed with criminal cases. According to the Department of Justice, the percentage increases in arrests from 1985 to 1994 have been greater for juveniles than for adults. During 1994 alone, 2.7 million juveniles were arrested. During the latter part of this century, juvenile courts that customarily provided social services in order to rehabilitate rather than punish lawbreakers were faced with an onslaught of children who were not simply wayward youths, but hardened repeat offenders. The 1980s witnessed an increasingly desperate outcry for courts to take more extreme measures to contain juvenile crime, which is assuming ever more serious forms.
Every year, millions of juveniles are involved in criminal activities. According to statistics, as of 1999, the arrest rate for juvenile crime has dropped from its peak in the mid-1990’s. Statistics about juvenile crime have shown a steady increase of juvenile arrests from 1987 to 1994. Although overall crime rates have decreased since 1994, they are still above what they were in 1980. The following paragraphs and charts show the crime rates of specific crimes committed by juveniles.
In the last century, juvenile delinquency has been on the rise, because of poverty and the poor conditions youth are forced to live in. These conditions have contributed to a feeling of hopelessness for them. Many of the schools in poor neighborhoods,
Thompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Thompson, W. E. and Bynum J. E. (2010). Juvenile Delinquency: A sociological Approach Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
These numbers need to be reduced in order to make a change and the implementation of mandatory afterschool programs could have a large impact on these stats. Teens who do not participate in after school activities raise their chances of participating in drug use, abusing alcohol, smoking cigarettes, engaging in sexual intercourse, and also are three times more likely to skip class. (YMCA, 2001) The impact of the afterschool programs might not be immediate, but if a positive trend begins to take shape, this could affect future generations of children in a positive way. Many police chiefs agree that expanding after school and child care programs will reduce the amount of juvenile crime and violence.
The social environment of teens holds an enormous influence on how the teens act and behave. Teens are easily influenced by their surroundings and they look to others for guidance. Their behavior results from that of the parent and peer influences. Parents play a particularly influential role in their child’s life and it is up to them to make sure that they are leading their sons or daughters in the right directions. A teen’s peers also play a large role in how the teen behaves when the parents are not around. A teen’s social environment, consisting of family and peers, plays a vital role in their life, therefore becoming the ultimate cause of juvenile delinquency.
This increase in juvenile crime has struck a chord of fear in many people. Motivated by this fear, our society has to come up with a solution to this impending problem. While several suggestions have been offered, crime prevention is the most logical, effective and beneficial solution. Before going into detail about crime prevention, here is a little background information on juvenile crime. ‘Murders by young men between the ages of 14 and 17 jumped 161 percent between 1992 and 1993’ (Juvenile Crime, 1).
There is no one certain theory, regarding juvenile delinquency, that can completely distinguish all the determining factors that makes youth turn to crime; although, the study of all these theories and ideas can bring criminologist one step closer to uncovering the truth about juvenile delinquency. Only the further understanding of juvenile delinquency can help the prevention of future juvenile offenders. This paper will focus on the individual factors of delinquency, as well as the social elements, and provide an explanation of how the combination of the two elements may cause children to engage in criminal activity.
Juvenile delinquency is one of the major social issues in the United States today. Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is when “a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment” (Merriam-webster.com). Although we have one justice system in America, the juvenile system differs from the adult juvenile system. Most juvenile delinquents range from as low as the age of seven to the age of seventeen. Once the delinquent or anyone turns the age of eighteen, they are considered an adult. Therefore, they are tried as an adult, in the justice system. There are many different reasons why a child would commit crime, such as mental and physical factors, home conditions, neighborhood environment and school conditions. In addition, there are a variety of effects that juvenile justice systems can either bad effects or good effects. Finally there are many different solutions that can reduce juvenile delinquency. As a result, juvenile delinquency is a major issue and the likeliness of it can be reduced. In order to reduce juvenile delinquency there has to be an understanding of the causes and the effects.