JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Causes of Juvenile Delinquency

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the causes of Juvenile Delinquency in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on Juvenile Delinquency and its root causes. The research also analyzes many aspects of Juvenile Delinquency and tries to find out the interventions and strategies to prevent delinquency.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction4

Historical Perspective4

Reflection of Societal Values7

Strategies to Prevent Juvenile Delinquency8

Interventions for a Better Juvenile Justice System10

Conclusion12

References13

Causes of Juvenile Delinquency

Introduction

What is juvenile delinquency? In common parlance, there is an understanding of juvenile delinquency as meaning adolescents breaking the law or participating in mischievous behavior.

One may ask why juvenile delinquency is viewed as a separate construct from adult deviant behavior. The answer to this legitimate question is derived historically from societal attitudes about children. Only after the Victorian Age were children seen as emotionally and intellectually developing human beings. During the Victorian Age, children were simply viewed as little adults. They were not regarded as having a world of their own. Their reality was that of their elders. From this attitude, concerning the welfare of children sprang the juvenile justice system. The role of the juvenile justice system was to rehabilitate wayward youth. Driving the juvenile justice system was the philosophy that the young could be rehabilitated.

It is this view of adolescence that persists to this day, at least to a limited degree. While there is the inevitable ebb and flow of societal reaction to juvenile crime, the underlying attitudes about society's perceptions of childhood emotional and psychological development affect how society assesses juvenile crime (Quinney, 2004).

Historical Perspective

Upon birth, it was customary for children during the Middle Ages to be presented to their fathers, who either accepted them into the family or rejected them. If they were not accepted into the family, then they would be left to churches or orphanages. Reasons for not being accepted could be deformity or disease.

As soon as they were physically capable, children were expected to take on adult occupations. Society did not acknowledge the existence of childhood as we know it today. As soon as they were old enough to train or apprentice, children would, depending upon their economic class, prepare for their given occupation.

Social status would determine whether schooling was in a young man's future. For boys of landholding families, a monastery school might be called for with eventual knighthood. Girls from landholding families might be taught rudimentary household finances in order to run their future husband's homes. For boys of poorer families, education would entail farming or learning their father's trade such as masonry, and for the girls, these occupations would include housekeeping and domestic trades such as needlework. From today's perspective, children were treated severely (Shelden, 2006).

In terms of discipline, infractions were treated with physical beatings. To the parent of the middle Ages, the idea of giving a child a period of “time-out” would be a concept difficult to comprehend. An infraction would be handled with immediacy and swiftness, as well as blunt ...