What Causes Juvenile Crime and Who Is To Blame?

1840 Words4 Pages

With more parents working today, one perception is that children are being forced to grow up too quickly, which could be why crime among the youth is growing each day. In the past it was thought that, “If parents raise their children properly, they will be law abiding citizens. In contrast, if a child does not behave appropriately, it must be the parents’ fault” (Nakaya 49), however this may not be the case. While there is not one single cause for juvenile delinquency, Graham believes that bad parenting falls somewhere on the list (1719). So the question arises, is it the child’s fault for the crime he or she committed or should the blame lay upon the parent, who if was present in the child’s life and instilling proper discipline, might prevent the crimes from happening at all. This is a somewhat complex question because in order to place blame or punishment on either the child or the parent several factors must be determined first, such as: what type of home life does the child have? Are the parents reliable role models for their child? Do the parents take every necessary action to ensure that their child knows right from wrong and is aware of consequences that may follow bad behavior? How much time does the child spend unattended and during those times are there options for the child to keep them away from unwanted situations? Does the child have any underlying mental or learning disabilities? What types of relationships does the child have at school? After all these initial factors are investigated and if the parent is shown to be doing everything possible to keep their child from doing wrong but the child still does so, would the blame lie with the child offender or with the parent?
Perhaps one of the most importa...

... middle of paper ...

...iolence: Teenage Problems. San Diego: Reference Point Press, 2013. Print.
Nakaya, Andrea C. ed. Juvenile Crime: Opposing Viewpoints. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Print.
Proulx, Brenda Z. and the Leave Out Violence Youth. The Courage to Change: A Teen Survival Guide. Toronto: Second Story Press, 2001. Print.
Punishing Parents: Who Is Responsible for Delinquent Kids? New York: Films Media Group, 2000. Video.
Riley, Nico. Crime and Punishment: Sentencing Juvenile Offenders. Yahoo Contributor Network, 2007. Web. http://voices.yahoo.com/crime-punishment-sentencing-juvenile-offenders-524970.html.
Tatchyn, Elizabeth and Bottom Line Research. “Negligence and the Parental Duty to Supervise Children”. Alberta: Bottom Line Research. Web. http://www.bottomlineresearch.ca/articles/articles/pdf/Negligence%20and%20the%20Parental%20Duty%20to%20Supervise%20Children.pdf.

Show More
Related

  • Delincuency in Stanton E. Samenow´s Books

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the book, Samenow states that most parents blame themselves for the way their children behave. A lot of the time parents are blamed by others for their child’s irresponsible actions, which then causes the parents to blame themselves. Children begin to make their own choices at a very early age, as they grow older the choices they make become more complex. Although parents can be very influential to a child, they cannot control the child’s mindset. The parenting techniques that parents use may play a small role in a child’s behavior, they do not create antisocial children. Parents need to stop blaming themselves whenever their children make bad choices because it is the child himself that makes that decision, not the parents.

    Read More

  • Theories Explaining Juvenile Crime

    1605 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many theories, at both the macro and micro level, have been proposed to explain juvenile crime. Some prominent theories include Social Disorganization theory, Differential Social Organization theory, Social Control theory, and Differential Association theory. When determining which theories are more valid, the question must be explored whether people deviate because of what they learn or from how they are controlled? Mercer L. Sullivan’s book, “Getting Paid” Youth Crime and Work in the Inner City clearly suggests that the learning theories both at the macro level, Differential social organization, and micro level, Differential association theory, are the more accurate of the two types of theory.

    Read More

  • Parental Involvement in the Youth Criminal Justice System in Western Canada

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hillian and Reitsma argues if one starts with the conceptual approaches to youth justice, parents are usually missing. When parents are added, there are different ideas about what can be expected of them, where they can fit, and what support there should be. However, in crime control approaches, there are high expectation of parents and punishments if they do not parent well and their children break laws.

    Read More

  • Causes of The Juvenile Crime Rate Increase From 1990 To Present

    1594 Words  | 4 Pages

    From 1990 to to the present there has been a sharp increase in juvenile crime across the United States. From 1996 to the present there has been a slight decline from the statistics in 1995(OJJDP). What was the cause for this uprise in juvenile delinquincy? I will discuss 2 different theories to why there was such an increase in juvenile crime rates. I will analyze the rise of the "Gangsta-Rap" culture in the early 1990's and how it may have affected teenagers that are in lower-income families. Many people believe that the increase in real life violence on television is a cause for violence in juveniles. I will discuss the evidence for this theory. It seems to me that the best theory to explain the rise in juvenile crime is the social constructionist theory. Different sub-cultures of teens have higher crime rates than others because of their interests, whether it be the music that they listen to or the types of television programs that they watched as child.

    Read More

  • Youth Crime

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is no doubt that youth justice practises have changed throughout the years, these changes have been made to adapt to the new challenges that present themselves today. Crime in general, but particularly youth crime is a consistent problem for society.

    Read More

  • Crime Prevention Strategies in the US

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    Steinberg, Laurence. "Youth Violence: Do Parents and Families Make a Difference?." National Institute of Justice Journal 243 (2000): 31-38.

    Read More

  • The Most Prevalent Causes of Juvenile Delinquency

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    Juvenile delinquency is a problem these days, despite a recent drop in arrests. Roughly 2.5 million juveniles are arrested every year for different crimes in America. About 100,000 of those are violent crimes, however those statistics are slightly inaccurate since only half of juvenile crimes are reported (Juvenile Justice Basic Statistics, 2011). Creating interventions to assist at-risk youth means preventing them from starting on a path to crime is a priority. Juvenile justice system researchers and professionals must gain a better understanding of the contributing elements that cause delinquent behavior.

    Read More

  • Is Crime a Biological or Learned Behavior?

    1281 Words  | 3 Pages

    Meadows, R.J. (2010) Understanding Violence and Victimization, 5th Edition, Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.

    Read More

  • Minors Being Tried As Adults

    2489 Words  | 5 Pages

    As minors commit violent crimes without being held accountable, they can grow up to be real criminals and they can be very dangerous. Without a solid foundation of what is right and wrong, these minors will grow up believing that their actions are the norm. For this reason, minors need to be held accountable. They need to be taught that they cannot get away with their crimes. In 2007, courts with juvenile jurisdiction handled an estimated 1.7 million delinquency cases. Delinquency cases include vandalism, shoplifting, robbery, and murder. These are just some of the crimes minors can commit. This was up by forty-four percent from 1985. If a minor grows up believing that crime is acceptable, they will repeat the pattern. Without interrupting the pattern and making them accountable, these minors will always have a twisted sense of right and wrong. A sense of what is right and wrong is important and can be learned at any age. Minors learn very young, what...

    Read More

  • Juvenile Crime

    1973 Words  | 4 Pages

    Snyder, H.N., & Sickmund, M. (1997). Juvenile offenders and victims: 1997 update on violence. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

    Read More

  • The Soaring Juvenile Crime Rate

    428 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Soaring Juvenile Crime Rate It is comforting to know that, according to recent crime statistics, crime rates are dropping among adults. However, for teens the crime rate is soaring. Between 2000 and 2004, the rate at which adults age 25 and older committed homicides declined 22%; yet the rate jumped 16% for youths between 14 and 17. This age group surpassed the 18 - 24-year-old group in the early 2000's as the most crime-prone. (Between 1966 and 2001, 18 - 24 showed a 62% increase in homicides; 14 - 17 showed a 124% increase in murders.)

    Read More

  • The Affluenza Case Essay

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    Children are influenced by their parents’ action. If the parents are not teaching his or her child what is right from wrong, then it may leave the child to experiment for themselves, like becoming involved in bad activity. If a child commits a delinquent act his or her parent should be held accountable.

    Read More

  • Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Course Reflection

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    Goodman, G.S. (2007). Reducing hate crimes and violence among american teens. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

    Read More

  • Parents Should Be Held Responsible For Their Children's Actions

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a parent, I have spent a great deal of time observing the behavior, motivation, and thought processes of my children. As they mature these processes have changed, and it has been fascinating to watch. I have learned a great deal on the limits of self control in the adolescent mind during this time, and I believe that families should be held responsible for crimes committed by their teenagers.

    Read More

  • The Causes of Criminal Behavior

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Human antisocial behaviour is complex and trying to understand it has always proven to be a daunting intelligent task, especially in modern culturally diverse societies. Crime, broadly defined as behaviour through which individuals obtain resources for others through uncouth means, presents as one of the most refractory internal social dilemmas. Understanding individual criminal acts such a murder, rape or motives behind them is intricate, rather their behavioral definitions and causes offers a more clear platform for argumentative reasoning. Criminal behaviour, regardless of manner, involves use of barbaric methodologies to obtain symbolic or material resources. Criminal behavior results from methodical processes that involve intricate interactions among isolated, societal, and environmental factors in people’s lives.

    Read More

More about What Causes Juvenile Crime and Who Is To Blame?

Open Document